Because history isn’t a straight line. It’s more like a spaghetti bowl. You have Smyth in 1609, Helwys in 1612, and then the Particular Baptists in 1638. Which one is the “real” start?
Who are Baptists? – Toddington Baptist Church
Most historians plant the flag at 1609 with John Smyth. It’s the earliest clear moment you can say, “Yep, these people are Baptists in a distinct way.” But others say 1612, because that’s when Baptists established a permanent church in England.
Honestly? Pick your favorite. Just don’t tell the Landmarkists you went with 1609. They might baptize you in protest.
The American Twist: Making It All Bigger
Baptists crossed the Atlantic with the colonists. One of the earliest American Baptist churches started in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638. It was founded by Roger Williams – a guy kicked out of Massachusetts for being too radical on religious freedom.
Rhode Island became a safe haven for Baptists, Quakers, and anyone else the Puritans didn’t like. It was basically the “weird kid’s table” of colonies. And Baptists thrived there.
By the 1700s, Baptists were multiplying like rabbits – thanks to the First Great Awakening. Preachers like Isaac Backus turned them into a force for religious liberty in the new United States. They helped shape the First Amendment. No big deal.
