English Baptists have a known continuous history from early in the 17th century. Early English Baptists were divided upon two principles - Calvinism and Arminianism. The Particular Baptists held that the atonement of Christ was particularly for the elect, while the General Baptists held that the atonement was a general one that made salvation available to any man through voluntary faith in Christ.
The Particular Baptist Missionary Society for Propogating the Gospel among the Heathen was organised in 1792, under the leadership of Andrew Fuller (1754-1815), John Sutcliff (1752-1814) and William Carey (1761-1834). When the Baptist Union was founded in 1813, it was a Particular Baptist organisation. In 1833, it was restructed to allow for membership of General Baptists. General and Particular Baptist work was united in the Baptist Union in 1891. The Baptist Historical Society was founded in 1908.
The basis of fellowship in the Baptist Union is a 3-part "Declaration of Principle" stating belief in Jesus Christ, Christian baptism, and world evangelisation. Structure includes an annual Baptist Assembly, and the Baptist Union Council, which is made up of representatives from the 13 regional associations and the 7 Baptist Colleges affiliated with the Union. Headquarters are located in Didcot, Oxfordshire, England.
The Baptist Union of Great Britain consists of about 2150 churches with a total membership of almost 140,000 individuals. The Union maintains membership with ecumencial organisations such as Churches Together in England, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, the Conference of European Churches, & the World Council of Churches, and Baptist organisations such as the Fellowship of British Baptists, the European Baptist Federation, & the Baptist World Alliance. The British Fellowship and the BMS World Mission brings together in ministry the churches that are members of the Baptist Union of Scotland, the Baptist Union of Wales and the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
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