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The Baptist story begins in seventeenth century England, during an era of sweeping religious and political change. The Protestant Reformation reshaped Europe, and England felt its effects deeply. The Church of England broke with Rome, yet many believers sought further reform. Reformers called Puritans wanted to cleanse the Church of England of practices they viewed as unbiblical. Some Puritans felt the Church of England was beyond reform and advocated separation. These Separatists left the established church and formed independent congregations. From this historic context, the first Baptists emerged.

The Protestant Reformation swept across Europe in the early sixteenth century, shaking the foundations of religious and political life. Reformers everywhere insisted that Scripture, not the pope, carried ultimate authority. These ideas created both spiritual opportunities and political crises. England, however, would take its own bold path which was motivated by personal and political ambition. When King Henry VIII couldn’t get his way, he created the Church of England.