The Baptist Union of Great Britain structure has been designed to ensure the highest practical level of involvement among members and the greatest possible level of accountability to members.

The modern Baptist movement was born in the 16th century and is now a worldwide denomination with millions of believers worshipping in Baptist congregations.

The first Baptist church met in Spitalfields, London in 1612. Thomas Helwys, a founder of the Baptist denomination, published A Short declaration of the mystery of iniquity, one of the first books to call for religious liberty. In the 17th century Baptists refused to conform and be members of the Church of England, arguing that Christ, and not the King (or Queen) was head of the church and were persecuted for their beliefs. The Act of Toleration passed allowing freedom of worship was passed about 75 years later. At the end of the 18th century the Baptist Missionary Society founded by William Carey. It is now known as BMS World Mission. 20 years later a group meet in Dr Rippon's Vestry, London to discuss the forming of a Baptist Union. C H Spurgeon, one of the most famous Baptist preachers, began his ministry and the following year The Freeman, now The Baptist Times, first appeared.

General Baptists (who believed that when Christ died on the cross he died for everyone in general) and Particular Baptists (who believed that Christ died for the elect i.e. a particular group of people) came together to form the present Baptist Union of Great Britain in 1891. At the beginning of the 20th century the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) was formed and held its first Baptist World Congress in London.

In 1989 the BUGB moves its offices to Didcot and commits to participation in national ecumenical life and at the turn of this century the new regional association structure for BUGB inaugurated; Crawley Baptist Church is a member of the South Eastern Baptist Association

Find out what Baptists believe

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