Baptist facts for kids
Baptist is a name for a group of Christians. It also describes people who belong to a Baptist church or a Baptist Christian group. The name comes from their belief that followers of Jesus should be placed in water to show their faith. This is called baptism. Baptists do not baptize babies.
The first Baptist churches in America started in 1639. Roger Williams began one in Providence, Rhode Island. Around the same time, John Clarke started another in Newport, Rhode Island. It's not clear which church opened first.
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What Baptists Believe
Baptist churches do not have one main leader or a central authority telling them what to do. This means that beliefs can be a little different from one Baptist church to another, especially on smaller topics. However, on big and important ideas, most Baptist churches agree.
Baptists share many core Christian beliefs with other Christian groups. These include believing in one God, that Jesus died, was buried, and came back to life. They also believe in the Trinity, which means God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all God. Baptists believe people need salvation (to be saved by God's grace) and that it's important to share their faith with others through evangelism and missions.
Different Beliefs Among Baptists
Because each Baptist church makes its own decisions, there isn't one official list of all Baptist beliefs. Differences can be found between different groups of Baptist churches, and even between churches in the same group.
Some topics where Baptists might have different ideas include:
- What they believe about the end times.
- How they understand and explain the Bible.
- How much missionary groups should help missionaries.
- Who can take part in the Lord's Supper (a special meal).
- Which translation of the Bible to use.
- The roles of women in families and in the church.
- Whether women can be pastors or deacons.
- The role of saying sorry for sins in getting salvation.
Sometimes, a church might ask a member to leave if they don't want to change beliefs or actions that go against what the church believes. This is called Excommunication. If a whole church group is removed from an association, it's called disfellowship.
How Baptists Worship
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In Baptist churches, worship services are an important part of church life. These services usually include praise and worship songs, prayers to God, a sermon (a talk based on the Bible), and an offering (giving money). They also sometimes share the Lord's Supper.
Some churches use traditional Christian music, while others use contemporary Christian music. Some churches even offer both types of services. Many churches have special services or groups for children and teenagers. Prayer meetings are also often held during the week.
Baptist Members Around the World
There are more than 90 million Baptists worldwide, in almost 300,000 churches. About 47 million Baptists live in the United States. Large numbers of Baptists also live in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. For example, there are 2.4 million Baptists in India, 2.3 million in Nigeria, 1.9 million in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and 1.5 million in Brazil.
In the 1990s, a survey showed that about 20% of Americans said they were Baptist.
Baptist Church Buildings
Baptist church buildings usually have a simple design. The Latin cross is one of the main symbols you might see on a Baptist church building. It helps identify the place as a church.
Education and Learning
Baptist churches started schools, Bible colleges, colleges, and universities very early, beginning in the 1680s in England. They continued to do so in many other countries. In 2006, the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities was created in the United States. By 2023, this group had 42 member universities.
Images for kids
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Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary, 2008.
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Crandall University in Moncton, Canada.
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College of Nursing, Central Philippine University in Iloilo City, Philippines, 2018.
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John Smyth led one of the first "Baptist" churches in Amsterdam in 1609.
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A Short Declaration of the Mistery of Iniquity (1612) by Thomas Helwys. He believed everyone should have religious freedom.
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First Baptist Church in Macon, Georgia, around 1876.
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Worship service at the Église Francophone CBCO Kintambo in Kinshasa, Congo, 2019.
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A Finnish Baptist church in Vaajakoski, Finland.
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Worship service at Crossway Baptist Church in Melbourne, Australia, 2008.
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An adult being baptized by immersion at Northolt Park Baptist Church in Greater London, 2015.
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A wedding ceremony at First Baptist Church of Rivas, Nicaragua, 2011.
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See also
In Spanish: Iglesias bautistas para niños
