If you ask five people to describe Baptists, you will probably get five different answers.  That is because Baptists are a diverse bunch and there can be a lot of misconceptions out there.

Baptists are one branch of the Christian family tree, which itself has several sub-branches reflecting some specific beliefs (for example, American Baptist, Southern Baptist, National Baptist).  There is more that unites us than divides us, but each branch has something distinctive to offer the wider community.  For Baptists, it is our freedom.  What sets Baptists apart can be described in these ​four freedoms:

Bible Freedom

​The Bible is central to our life and faith.  We do not have a creed or a statement of faith that a believer must adhere to.  Instead, we believe that each Christian has the freedom and responsibility to study and follow the teachings of Scripture, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in accordance with their own conscience. 

Religious Freedom

We believe in the separation of church and state.  People should be free to choose their religion and how to practice it without coercion, hindrance or punishment.  This is tied to our view of soul freedom.  A person must be free to follow their own relationship with God.

Soul Freedom

We each have the freedom and responsibility to respond to God and have a direct relationship with God without outside mediation or interference.  Pastors, teachers, creeds and great books have important roles to play in shaping our faith.  But at the end of the day, our faith must be one that we can claim as our own.  This is why we only baptize people old enough to understand their faith and make the decision for themselves.  The focus here is on the individual’s own relationship with and experience of God. 

Church Freedom

Baptist churches are autonomous.  Each church has the freedom to structure its worship, leadership and service in the way that it discerns is right and most faithful.  No one outside of the church has the authority to tell the church how it must do things.  But like people, churches are most faithful when in relationship with others, so we enter into voluntary associations for shared mission and support. 
American Baptist Churches, USA 
​We are a member of the American Baptist Churches, which comprises nearly 1.6 million persons who worship in more than 5,800 congregations in the United States and Puerto Rico.   We celebrate our rich diversity of ethnicity, theology and life experience, among other things, as we covenant together for mission and ministry. 

The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts (TABCOM)  and the Merrimack Valley Association are our local affiliations.