9A+Baptists

=== B A P T I S T S === By Stephanie Meraz, Stefanie Jimenez & Jessica  Miranda

**HISTORY** The first Baptist church was founded in Amsterdam in 1609 by John Smyth. He led a group called the seperatists to the Netherlands to start a Baptist church. Soon after other leaders were starting to lead to Baptist Churches. Baptist churches were established in the 1609 century, the first baptisit church with a group in Holland. Also their was a group discovered " The Seventh Day Baptists", this group worshiped on saturday based on the fourth comandment. In the 18th century Americans were influenced by England to start practicing this religion. <span style="color: #0b91da; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">

**BRANCH LOCATIONS** Today there are 43 million Baptists worldwide with about 33 million of those are in the United States and 216,000 in Britian. There are over 850,000 Baptist in South America and 230,000 in Central Ameerica and the Caribbean. The origins of Baptist are most commonly traced to John Smyth and the Separatists. Today two-thirds of the members of the Black Churches in the USA are Baptist.

**WHO IS IN CHARGE?** Baptist churches are led by a Pastor who is assisted by deacons in ministry. One of the most famous Baptists of the 20th century was Martin Luther King, the great American civil rights leader.

**MAJOR BELIEFS** Baptists believe that baptism is a sign of obedience to God. Baptists also believe that baptism by immersion is pictorially symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptists practice two sacraments Baptism and Communion. The bread and wine are only symbols of Christ's body and blood. Also that faith is a matter between God and the individual Some churches belief in the following acronym: **B**iblical authority **A**utonomy of the local church **P**riesthood of the believer **T**wo ordinances (Believer's Baptism and Communion) **I**ndividual soul liberty **S**eparation of Church and State **T**wo offices of the church (Pastor and Deacon)

The beliefs about one God; -the Virgin Mary's birth -miracles -bodily resurrection of Jesus -the Trinity; the need for salvation grace -Jesus Christ as the son of God, his death and resurrection, and confession of Christ as Lord) -Sins through the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus  -the Trinity  -need for salvation grace  -the Kingdom of God  -Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth, the dead will be raised and Christ will judge everyone in righteousness  -evangelism and missions

**INTERESTING BELIEFS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER BRANCHES**
 * Baptist churches are distinctive in that they emphasise Baptism, and also by full immersion in water. Infants are not baptised but 'dedicated' to Christ in a ceremony. Once the child is old enough to express faith clearly, they may then be baptised into full membership of the church.
 * Most Baptist churches are completely independent, but may be associated in organizations such as the Southern Baptist Convention in the USA. Each congregation has total control in matters of church doctrine and discipline and church meetings are held on a regular basis to deal with these issues. This independence has led to differing views on such issues as Calvinism/Arminianism and female ordination.

But also the Four Freedoms <span style="color: #0b91da; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">media type="youtube" key="EcXWIGjCALA" height="240" width="320" align="right"<span style="color: #0b91da; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">media type="youtube" key="sb69vLkDUJw" height="241" width="344"
 * **Soul freedom**: the soul is competent before God, and capable of making decisions in matters of faith without coercion or compulsion by any larger religious or civil body
 * **Church freedom**: freedom of the local church from outside interference, whether government or civilian (subject only to the law where it does not interfere with the religious teachings and practices of the church)
 * **Bible freedom**: the individual is free to interpret the Bible for himself or herself, using the best tools of scholarship and biblical study available to the individual
 * **Religious freedom**: the individual is free to choose whether to practice their religion, another religion, or no religion; Separation of church and state is often called the "civil corollary" of religious freedom.