First, you’ll meet a group called the Landmarkists (yes, that’s a real name). They’ll tell you Baptists have been around since John the Baptist started splashing people in the Jordan River. Whew.
That’s a huge stretch. Like, HUGE. It’s the “my church is older than your church” argument, and historians roll their eyes so hard they hurt.
Most scholars agree: the Baptist denomination didn’t pop up until the early 1600s. Sorry, Landmarkists. But hey, you have passion.
The Real Start: 1609 in Amsterdam (Yes, That Amsterdam)
Here’s where it gets specific. Picture a guy named John Smyth (not that John Smith from Pocahontas). He was an English pastor who fled to Holland to avoid persecution. Fun times.
In 1609, Smyth got fed up with the Church of England. He decided that only believers should be baptized – not babies. Boom. That was the match that lit the Baptist fire.
He baptized himself first (awkward, I know) and then a few followers. They called themselves the “General Baptist” church. Why “General”? Because they believed Jesus died for everyone – that was a hot take back then.
But Wait – There’s a Splinter Group (Of Course)
Right after Smyth’s group, another English exile named Thomas Helwys broke off. He took a bunch of folks back to England in 1612. That’s when Baptists actually stepped foot on English soil.
Helwys wrote a book arguing for religious freedom – for everyone, even non-Christians. King James I (yes, the Bible guy) threw him in prison. Helwys died there. That’s dedication.
Meanwhile, a second flavor emerged: the Particular Baptists. They showed up around the 1630s in England. These folks believed Jesus died only for the “elect” (particular people, hence the name). Cue the theological bickering.
