A Brief World History of Evangelical Christian Baptists

The Baptist denomination is one of the largest Protestant denominations. It began in 1609 in Holland. The name Baptists goes back to the Greek verb "baptidzo" (immerse, baptize by immersion). This designation is related to the fact that Baptists adhere to the Biblical practice of baptism of adults because of their conscious faith in Christ, who has redeemed them from sin through death on the cross.

Baptists are the spiritual successors of all believing Christians who dedicated their lives to the Savior Jesus Christ and who sought to be faithful to the Word of God, from the first century Church. Today, Baptists are spread throughout the world. Baptist churches are in almost every country. The total number of Baptists worldwide is about 50 million.

In 2009, the world Baptist community celebrated the 400th anniversary of the first Baptist community in Amsterdam. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it spread to the British Isles and North America. In the nineteenth century, it spread to most of continental Europe, including the Russian Empire, in India and Australia. The twentieth century brought the spread of Baptist growth in the countries of South America, Asia and Africa. In 1905, the national associations of Baptists from different countries united in the World Baptist Alliance. In the twenty-first century, the Baptist denomination continues to grow and spread the Christian movement through sharing the gospel.