What does the “Baptist” bit mean?

First and foremost, we identify as Christians. We seek to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and believe that he lived, taught, died on a cross and rose again on the third day.

Like other Christian churches, we believe in Jesus and seek to follow him. However, there are some things that Baptist churches understand and practise differently. This is where the “Baptist” bit comes in!

The word Baptist comes from baptism, a word meaning "immersing or washing in water". Baptists are one of the many traditions within Christianity. Here at Horndean Baptist Church, there are three aspects of Baptist life that we'd particularly like to explain:

• Baptism is a personal decision

  Baptism is the way that people become part of God's church. Baptist churches understand baptism as a personal decision to follow Jesus and so do not perform infant baptism - christening or baptising babies or small children. Whilst we do not perform infant baptism at Horndean Baptist, we formally recognise it as a valid baptism.
  
  As the meaning of the "Baptist" above suggests, we practice baptism by full immersion, fully going under the water. This way of being baptised represents dying to our old way of living by going under the water, and then coming up out of the water represents the new life that we have through Jesus' resurrection.  
   

• The church is a community of believers

  Baptist churches have a different approach to church leadership and decision-making from some other Christian traditions, including the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. There are differences between Baptist churches too, so here's how things work at Horndean.
  
  We have a system of church membership. Members commit themselves to the life of the church, supporting one another, praying for the church and its leaders, and taking part in its worship and mission. Membership also brings responsibilities: members are accountable to the church's leadership and share responsibility for the life and direction of the church.
  
  An important part of this is the Church Meeting, where members come together to discuss and make decisions about church life. Some responsibilities are delegated to the leadership team, while other day-to-day decisions are entrusted to the minister.
  
  This approach reflects a Baptist belief known as the priesthood of all believers. We believe that every Christian can approach God directly through Jesus Christ and that all believers have a part to play in the life and ministry of the church.
  
  We recognise the minister as someone called and gifted by God to lead and teach, and chosen by the church to serve in that role. The minister has particular responsibilities, but does not have a unique or exclusive connection with God.
   

• Locally governed, united by conviction

  Baptist churches are generally self-governing, which means that each local church takes responsibility for its own life, leadership and decisions, rather than being governed by a bishop or archbishop.
  
  However, being self-governing doesn't mean being on our own. Baptist churches often work together, supporting one another and sharing in ministry and mission.
  
  Horndean Baptist Church is affiliated with the Baptist Union of Great Britain, a wider Baptist network that connects churches and supports their ministry and mission.
  
  At Horndean, we value both the responsibility we share as a local church and the opportunity to be part of a wider Baptist family.