[lonestar]

In fact, most of the Baptist sources I've read claim that "Jesus was a Baptist" as well as all of the Apostles and saints of the early Church!

Baptists don't have saints.

I haven't studied it, but I thought the Baptists claimed to go back to John the Baptist. Weren't there seven churches "organized" by the followers of Christ during His lifetime?

I also think there are many different denominations that are called "Baptists." Missionary Baptists are quite different from Southern Baptists. I thought "Baptist" referred to those who believe in immersion baptism.

[B-Chan]

Baptists don't have saints.

Tell it to St. Paul!

"To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. " - [Rom. 1:7 RSV]

Yours in Christian fraternity,
B-chan

[AnAmericanMother]

Baptists don't have saints.

You better tell the folks in town here at St. James , St. John's, St. Mark's, St. Luke's, St Mathews, St. Paul and St. Stephen Baptist Churches. I'm not going to . . .

Some of those are Missionary, some are Full Gospel, and some are just ordinary Southern Baptists. Admittedly most Baptist churches here in town have names like First Baptist, Wheat Street Baptist, Shiloh, etc. But there are enough saints to where at least SOME Baptists must believe in them. . .

Think it's because even with the SBC, most Baptists still believe in congregational autonomy.

Now, you talk about confused . . . my ggg grandfather was a Baptist deacon and founder of our family church out in Alabama. Another ggg grandfather was an Englishman and an Anglican. I was raised Episcopalian, but now I'm a Catholic.

[SoftballMominVA]

Baptists go back to about the 17th century, but they take threads from Martin Luther, the Wesley brothers, John Calvin, and more modern day D.H. Moody, and many other church patriarchs. None of these great leaders were "baptist" but they still have a definite influence on today's Southern and Independent Baptists.

http://www.christianitytoday.com has some interesting articles on the church origins. Worth a read