Two British stories
Both traditions were born on these islands. The Baptist story starts in the early seventeenth century, when English Separatists such as Thomas Helwys formed congregations of believers who had been baptised on their own profession of faith. Helwys planted what is usually counted as the first Baptist church on English soil at Spitalfields in 1612. Most Baptist congregations in Britain today relate to the Baptist Union of Great Britain, to the Baptist Union of Scotland or of Wales, or to smaller networks such as the Grace Baptist churches.
Methodism arrived a century later. John Wesley, a Church of England clergyman, began preaching in fields and market squares in the 1730s, and his brother Charles wrote the hymns that carried the message across the country. Neither brother set out to leave the established church; the Methodist societies only became a separate denomination after John's death. The main streams reunited in 1932 to form the Methodist Church in Britain, organised as a single national Connexion.
Baptism: the clearest dividing line
- Baptist. Only those old enough to profess faith for themselves are baptised, and normally by full immersion. Babies are welcomed with a service of thanksgiving and dedication instead. This conviction gives the tradition its name.
- Methodist. Infants are baptised, usually by pouring or sprinkling at the font, with parents and the congregation promising to raise the child in the faith. Adults who come to faith later are baptised too, and confirmation follows in due course.
How each church is governed
Baptist churches are congregational: the church meeting, made up of the members themselves, calls the minister, agrees the budget and takes the big decisions. Unions and associations offer support and shared mission, but they cannot overrule a local congregation.
Methodism works the other way round. Local churches are grouped into circuits, circuits into districts, and everything sits under the annual Methodist Conference. Ministers are stationed to a circuit rather than employed by one chapel, and trained local preachers lead many Sunday services across the circuit on a rota known as the plan.
Theology and the shape of the Christian life
Methodist teaching is Arminian through and through: God's grace goes ahead of every person, salvation is offered to all, and believers are called to press on towards holiness of heart and life. Wesley's emphasis on social action still marks the tradition, from food poverty work to campaigning on debt and housing.
Baptist theology is harder to pin down because each congregation states its own position. Some churches stand in the Reformed stream, others are broadly evangelical or charismatic. What unites them is the authority of Scripture, personal conversion and the freedom of the local church under Christ.
Sunday worship
A Baptist service usually centres on the sermon, with hymns or contemporary songs around it and communion once or twice a month, understood as a memorial of the cross. Methodist worship keeps a gentle liturgical shape, draws deeply on the Wesley hymn book, and marks the year with distinctive occasions such as the Covenant Service each January, when the congregation renews its promises to God.
Where you will find them in Britain
Baptist chapels are thick on the ground in Wales, the West Country and the market towns of the south east, while Methodism remains strong in Cornwall, Yorkshire, the north east and former mining and mill communities. Browse Baptist churches or Methodist churches near you in the directory.
Which might suit you?
If you value the independence of the local congregation, believer's baptism and strong expository preaching, a Baptist church is likely to feel like home. If you warm to a connected national church, infant baptism, rich hymnody and an emphasis on growing in grace, try a Methodist congregation. Either way, visit more than once: our guide to choosing a church offers a sensible way to weigh it up.