The very first Baptist church that is most substantially noted was said to be formed in 1606, under the pastoral direction of a man by the name of John Smyth, who attended Christ’s College of the University of Cambridge. The Baptist church of today is said to have over 110 million members that attend Baptist churches, and there are over 220,000 Baptist churches in the world, but the early beginning of the religious denomination begin with about 60 to 70 members. It is said that he had come to be the pastor of the Baptist church, not too long after his separation from the Church of New England. He was not content with the length to which the Church of New England went to improve upon some of the practices of the Catholic church. Therefore, the Baptist church was initiated in order to further address these issues. One of the biggest aspects of what it is that the Baptist church stands for is directly related to the name in which the Christian denomination was given. Baptist churches have a specific theory on Baptism. The early Baptist churches believed that baptism is to take place in those that are believers in Jesus Christ and would like to offer their profession of faith. Baptist churches are also set apart for their practices in baptism, based on the fact that they generally emerge the entire head or body to carry out the act, rather than just applying the sprinkling of water to the head. Nevertheless, there are some changes within that theory, to date. Many of the Baptist churches still take on that aspect of baptism candidacy, but many advocate just as much for infancy baptism, as well.
The members of this early Baptist church were Separatists that were interested in further reform within the church. Because of the new philosophies initiated and practiced by the early Baptist church, they were under much scrutiny for their new denomination of Christian religious practice. Thus, even gathering together at the Baptist church for a religious service was often a jeopardy to the well being of all those that attended.
One of the other beliefs that is still very much present within Baptist churches to date is the fact that salvation is achieved through an individual’s faith. Baptist churches, thus, deliver their messages on the basis of this theory. The belief within the Baptist churches is that the faith by which they are dependent upon in order to achieve salvation comes from the Bible. Baptist churches are characterized by the fact that they believe that in the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Baptist church strongly incorporates this religious belief into the way in which they base their philosophy of this denomination of the Christian religion.
