Baptist churches belong to the Protestant stream of Christianity. They first appeared in England at the beginning of the 17th century. What set them apart from other Protestant churches of that time was their conviction that the church should be made up only of believers who had personally confessed their faith in Christ. For this reason, they did not baptize infants, but only those who made a conscious profession of faith.

Baptists hold to the Reformation principle of Sola Scriptura—“Scripture Alone.” This means that the written Word of God is the only infallible and sufficient rule for faith and practice. In other words, all teachings and religious practices in the church are subject to the authority of Scripture.

We believe in the one true God who exists in the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and we offer worship to Him alone.

For Baptists, Jesus Christ is the only Mediator and Savior. Born of the virgin Mary, fully God and fully man, and without sin, He alone gives eternal life, a gracious gift of God that no one can earn.

Salvation cannot be earned by human effort, it can only be received through humble, trusting faith, which is the fruit of being born again. This salvation produces good works in the life of a believer as a sign of the new life filled with deep peace that God intends for all who trust in Him. Baptists believe that God is the sovereign Lord over all things, and that He will have the final word in the history of the world.

Baptists recognize two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is practiced according to the example of the apostles, by full immersion in water, and is reserved for those who understand its meaning, have received the gift of eternal life from the Savior, and have given a public testimony of their faith.

The church is a community of people who have received the truths of the faith and seek to live them out daily. The Lord’s Supper (also called the Lord’s Table, the Memorial, or the Eucharist) is observed according to Christ’s command, in both elements, which is bread and the cup.

The basic organizational unit of the church is the local congregation. Responsibility for the life of the church rests with all its members. Together, they choose their leaders and are called to make sure that their teaching is faithful to Scripture. Every member also shares in the responsibility of caring for the spiritual growth of others. The leaders of the congregation are elders (also called presbyters, pastors, or bishops), who are entrusted with teaching God’s Word. Many Baptist congregations join together in associations or unions for fellowship and cooperation. In Poland, the largest such union is the Polish Baptist Union (Kościół Chrześcijan Baptystów w RP). Worldwide, there are more than 100 million Baptists.