To Trace The Origin of the Baptist church is to follow one of several different threads in the tapestry of its development. One thread represents churches, who, like today's Baptists, also opposed the practice of baptizing infants. To follow a different thread would be to say that the major influence on modern Baptist churches was the Anabaptist movement, whose principles included baptizing only believers, and the separation of Church and State—two ideas that Baptists still espouse. Many Baptists, though, reject both of these perspectives, prefering to trace their origins to the Protestant Reformation.
As a result of the Reformation, the Anglican Church became the established state church in England. Just before the beginning of the 17th century, however, there were a significant number of dissatisfied reformers within the Church of England who took their stand against the concept of a state church. These "Separatists," as they were known, eventually gave rise to the first congregation of Baptists. Going against the grain of the established church wasn't easy, however, and soon many Separatists were forced to flee England.
One group of Separatists, led by John Smyth, an ordained minister of the Church of England, sought refuge in Amsterdam. Motivated by their conviction that only believers should be baptized, they formed the first Baptist church in 1609. Smyth's followers came to be know as General Baptists, because they believed that Christ's salvation was intended by God for everyone.
