Baptists first arrived in Scotland in the 1650s, but their opposition to Oliver Cromwell, as well as stiff opposition to the Baptists by the Reformers and the Scottish Parliament, brought about their demise. The movement would resurface later in two streams. The first stream includes the work of William Sinclair, beginning in Keiss in 1750, and that of Robert Carmichael and Archibald McLean in Edinburgh in 1765. This stream was called Scotch Baptists, and were very conservative strict Calvinists. The second stream from the evangelistic work of the Haldane brothers, James & Robert, who arrived in Scotland in 1808. This stream was called English Baptists, and were more moderate and less Calvinistic. After overcoming initial hostilities, these groups were able to unite in 1869.
The Baptist Union of Scotland was founded in 1869 by 51 Churches, comprising about 3,500 members. The purpose of the Union is to provide mutual support, train ministers, engage in evangelical outreach and publish literature. There are currently (2003) 170 churches in the Union, with around 15,000 members. Headquarters are in Glasgow, Scotland.
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