Baptists Together

"Baptist Union" redirects here. For organisations in other parts of the world calling themselves "Baptist Union", see List of Baptist denominations.

Baptists Together (Baptist Union of Great Britain)
Classification	Evangelical Christianity
Theology	Baptist
Polity	Congregationalist
President	Steve Finamore
Vice-president	None (position left deliberately vacant)
Distinct fellowships	Old Baptist Union, Baptist Union of Wales, New Connexion of General Baptists
Associations	World Council of Churches, Baptist World Alliance, Conference of European Churches, European Baptist Federation, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, Fellowship of British Baptists, Churches Together in England
Region	England and Wales
Headquarters	Didcot
Founder	John Rippon and Joseph Ivimey
Origin	1832
Separations	Grace Baptist Assembly, Association of Grace Baptist Churches, Seventh Day Baptists, Strict Baptists, Gospel Standard Baptists
Congregations	1,875
Members	100,103
Missionary organization	BMS World Mission
Aid organization	Baptist Aid Orphan Society Annuity Fund
Tertiary institutions	1
Seminaries	4
Official website	baptist.org.uk

Baptists Together, formally the Baptist Union of Great Britain, is a Baptist Christian denomination in England and Wales. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance and Churches Together in England. The headquarters is in Didcot.

History

The Baptist Union was founded by 45 Particular Baptist churches in 1813 in London. ^[1] In 1832, it was reorganized to include the New Connection General Baptist Association (General Baptist churches) as a partner. ^[2] In 1891, the two associations merged to form a single organization. ^[3] General Baptists and Particular Baptists work was united in the Baptist Union in 1891. ^[4] The Baptist Historical Society was founded in 1908.

In 1922, Edith Gates became the first woman ordained pastor in the Convention. ^[5]

In 2013 Lynn Green was elected, with no votes against, as the first female General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain to commence in September 2013. She was received at the vote by a standing ovation and her inaugural message included "I believe that our union is ready for generational change... It is time to cast off the institutional mindset that has served us well in the past, and embrace a new way of being for the 21st century." ^[6]

Also in 2013, the union publicly re-branded itself as "Baptists Together" and introduced a new logo to reflect the change (although it is still known in an official capacity by its former name, the Baptist Union of Great Britain). ^[7]

Membership

Worship service at Gold Hill Baptist Church, near London.

According to a census published by the Union in 2024, it claimed 1,875 churches and 100,103 members. ^[8]

Missionary organization

The Fellowship of British Baptists and BMS World Mission brings together in ministry the churches that are members of the Baptist Union of Scotland, Wales, the Irish Baptist Networks, and the Baptist Union of Great Britain. It is itself a member of The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) ^[9] because of its work to promote young people's personal and social development.

Inter-denominational associations

The union maintains membership with Christian ecumenical organisations such as Churches Together in England, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, the Conference of European Churches, and the World Council of Churches.

Missionary Society

The BMS World Mission was organised as Baptist Missionary Society in 1792, under the leadership of Andrew Fuller (1754–1815), John Sutcliff (1752–1814), and William Carey (1761–1834). ^{[10] [11]}

Beliefs

The union has a Baptist confession of faith. ^[12] It is a member of the Baptist World Alliance. ^[8]

Schools

Regent's Park College, Oxford.

The Union is a partner of 4 theological seminaries, namely South Wales Baptist College, Northern Baptist College, Bristol Baptist College and Spurgeon's College, and a university college, Regent's Park College. ^[13] In March 2024, the St Hild Centre for Baptist Ministry, previously an affiliated centre of Northern Baptist College, entered membership with the Baptist Union of Great Britain in its own right. ^[14]

Organisation

The principal of the Union is the General Secretary. A number of paid staff provide leadership and practical support from the Union's headquarters in Baptist House, Didcot, in areas such as finance, ministerial accreditation, and legal support.

List of general secretaries

• 1898 – 1924 John Howard Shakespeare
• 1925 – 1951 Melbourn Aubrey
• 1951 – 1967 Ernest A. Payne
• 1967 – 1982 David S. Russell
• 1982 – 1991 Bernard Green
• 1991 – 2006 David Coffey
• 2006 – 2013 Jonathan Edwards
• 2013 – Lynn Green

Since 2001, churches in membership with the Baptist Union of Great Britain have been organised into 13 Regional Associations:

• Central Baptist Association
• East Midlands Baptist Association
• Eastern Baptist Association
• Heart of England Baptist Association
• London Baptist Association
• North Western Baptist Association
• Northern Baptist Association
• South Eastern Baptist Association
• South Wales Baptist Association
• South West Baptist Association
• Southern Counties Baptist Association
• West of England Baptist Network (formerly West of England Baptist Association)
• Yorkshire Baptist Association

Regional Association teams, led by a number of Regional Ministers and a senior Regional Ministry Team Leader (RMTL), oversee and facilitate ministry in local churches. This may include pastoral support for ministers, signposting regional events, organising regional conferences, and supporting churches without a minister.

Doctrinal controversies

At the Baptist Union Assembly in April 1971, Michael Taylor, then Principal at the Northern Baptist College, asserted, "I believe that God was active in Jesus, but it will not do to say quite categorically: Jesus is God." The statement bred controversy, and some charged him with denying the Deity of Christ. ^{[15] [16] [17] [18]} Nigel G. Wright, later Principal of Spurgeon's College, commenting on the affair, claimed the, "Spectre of theological downgrade had lingered within the denomination throughout the 20th century," alluding to the Downgrade Controversy of a century earlier. ^[15]

Affirm network was founded in 2000 in favor to the inclusion of LGBTQ people in the Union. ^[19]

In 2020, the Ministerial Recognition Committee received a letter from 70 members of the Union asking that the rules be changed to allow ministers in same-sex marriages to no longer be guilty of gross misconduct. The request was referred to the national Council, who discussed it in March 2022 and initiated a process of consultation whereby ministers and churches in membership with the Union were asked their thoughts on the proposed change. ^[20] During this time a group formed, initially known as 'Baptist Ministers for Orthodox Marriage' and later 'Evangelical Baptists', who campaigned against the change in rules. ^[21] The results of the consultation were presented to Council, who decided against the change in March 2024 with a vote of 65% against:

Council has concluded that our Ministerial Recognition Rules concerning marriage and ministry will remain unchanged. Therefore, an accredited minister should not themselves be in a same-sex marriage. Nonetheless Council reiterates that sexual orientation is no bar to accreditation. Furthermore, Council upholds the liberty of the local church to appoint ministry according to their governing documents.

— Baptist Union Council, 2024, ^[22]

See also

• Baptist Union of Scotland
• Religion in the United Kingdom
• Regent's Park College, Oxford
• Baptist churches in the United Kingdom
• Spurgeon and the "Downgrade Controversy"
• Baptist beliefs
• Worship service (evangelicalism)
• Jesus Christ
• Believers' Church

References

1. William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 76
2. Stephen R. Holmes, Baptist Theology, T&T Clark, UK, 2012, p. 51
3. Robert E. Johnson, A Global Introduction to Baptist Churches, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2010, p. 104
4. William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 77
5. Erich Geldbach, Baptists Worldwide: Origins, Expansions, Emerging Realities, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2022, p. 111
6. Allen, Robert 'Bob' (6 May 2013), "Woman Named to Lead British Baptists", News, Associated Baptist Press, archived from the original on 23 October 2013, retrieved 28 July 2013
7. The Baptist Union of Great Britain : Baptist Union logo , retrieved 9 September 2014
8. Baptist World Alliance, Members, baptistworld.org, USA, retrieved July 24, 2024
9. Full list of NCVYS member organisations Archived 12 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
10. Robert E. Johnson, A Global Introduction to Baptist Churches, Cambridge University Press, Royaume-Uni, 2010, p. 99
11. J. Gordon Melton and Martin Baumann, Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 292
12. Baptists Together, Declaration of Principle, baptist.org.uk, UK, retrieved 5 December 2020
13. "The Baptist Union: Colleges". baptist.org.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2022.^{[ title missing ]}
14. "St Hild Centre for Baptist Ministry". St Hild. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
15. "Freedom with Foundation: The George Beasley-Murray Memorial Lecture". Baptist Times. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
16. Thomas, Geoff. "The Divine Glory of Christ". Alfred Place Baptist Church. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
17. "Federation Speaker, in Congregational Concern" (PDF). Evangelical Fellowship of Congregational Concerns. 1993. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2016.
18. "Liberal Baptist Denominations". Way of Life Literature. 13 April 2014. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
19. Affirm, About, affirm.org.uk, UK, accessed July 24, 2024
20. "The Baptist Union: Process Timeline - December 2023". www.baptist.org.uk. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
21. "About Us – Evangelical Baptist" . Retrieved 23 June 2024.
22. EF, British Baptists not open to same-sex married pastors, evangelicalfocus.com, Spain, 22 March 2024

Bibliography

• Wardin, Albert W jr, Baptists Around the World.
• Payne, Ernest Alexander, The Baptist Union: A Short History.
• Brown, Raymond, The English Baptists of the Eighteenth Century.
• Briggs, JHY, The English Baptists of the Nineteenth Century.
• Clements, Keith, Baptists in the Twentieth Century.

External links

• Baptist Historical Society – official Web Site
• Baptist Union of Great Britain – official Web Site
• The Baptist Times – Web Site of the official newspaper of the BUGB
• Incarnate Network – Web Site of the church planting network of BUGB Missions Dept
• The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) – England-wide organisation of which the Baptist Union is a member