Separate Baptists

Separate Baptists are a Protestant Christian sect that originated in England around 1662. They migrated to America in 1695 and are characterized by their congregational polity, open communion, baptism by immersion, and the practice of foot washing.1

The Separate Baptists emerged during the Great Awakening in the American colonies. While doctrinally similar to other Baptist churches, they were distinguished by their revivalistic fervor and emotional expressions during worship. In New England, they eventually merged with older Baptist churches. However, in the South, they maintained a separate identity for a longer period before reconciliation occurred.2

Key Baptist tenets include the supreme authority of the Bible, believer's baptism by immersion, churches composed solely of believers, equality of all Christians, independence of the local church, and the separation of church and state.3