Old Baptist Union
Encyclopedia
The Old Baptist Union is a group of evangelical
Baptist
churches in the United Kingdom
. The Old Baptist Union was founded in 1880, owing largely to the labours of Henry Squire, an itinerant preacher. Currently the Old Baptist Union has 17 member churches (16 in England
and 1 in the Netherlands
) with about 700 members.
The churches of the Old Baptist Union are General Baptist
, believing in general atonement (that in His death, Jesus
atoned generally for the sins of all men). They historically put more emphasis on divine healing and personal holiness than some other Baptist affiliations.
The Union is a member of both the Free Churches Council and the Evangelical Alliance
, and most of its churches form an Association within the Baptist Union of Great Britain
. Its government structure is somewhat of a combination between Congregationalism
and Presbyterianism
, involving in each church the appointment of Elders. The Old Baptist Union's executive body is called the "Council of Management," and is composed of all the ordained officers of churches holding membership in the Union. An Annual General Meeting is held.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
churches in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The Old Baptist Union was founded in 1880, owing largely to the labours of Henry Squire, an itinerant preacher. Currently the Old Baptist Union has 17 member churches (16 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and 1 in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
) with about 700 members.
The churches of the Old Baptist Union are General Baptist
General Baptist
General Baptists is a generic term for Baptists who hold the view of a general atonement, as well as a specific name of groups of Baptists within the broader category.General Baptists are distinguished from Particular or Reformed Baptists.-History:...
, believing in general atonement (that in His death, Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
atoned generally for the sins of all men). They historically put more emphasis on divine healing and personal holiness than some other Baptist affiliations.
The Union is a member of both the Free Churches Council and the Evangelical Alliance
Evangelical Alliance
The Evangelical Alliance is a London-based charitable organization founded in 1846. It has a claimed representation of over 1,000,000 evangelical Christians in the United Kingdom and is the oldest alliance of evangelical Christians in the world....
, and most of its churches form an Association within the Baptist Union of Great Britain
Baptist Union of Great Britain
The Baptist Union of Great Britain, despite its name, is the association of Baptist churches in England and Wales. -History:...
. Its government structure is somewhat of a combination between Congregationalism
Congregationalist polity
Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism, is a system of church governance in which every local church congregation is independent, ecclesiastically sovereign, or "autonomous"...
and Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
, involving in each church the appointment of Elders. The Old Baptist Union's executive body is called the "Council of Management," and is composed of all the ordained officers of churches holding membership in the Union. An Annual General Meeting is held.
External links
Sources
- Articles of Faith of the Old Baptist Union
- Baptists Around the World, by Albert W. Wardin, Jr.