A Baptist tradition that combines believer's baptism with Reformed (Calvinist) theology, anchored in the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith.
Reformed Baptists hold to the same Calvinist theology as Presbyterian and Reformed churches — including the doctrines of grace (total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints) — while maintaining the Baptist conviction that baptism is only for those who have made a credible profession of faith. This combination places them in a distinct position: they share theology with Presbyterians but practice with Baptists, and they differ from most Baptists in their robust Calvinism.
The primary confessional standard for Reformed Baptists is the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689, which closely parallels the Westminster Confession of Faith used by Presbyterians but adapts it for a Baptist understanding of the church and sacraments. Reformed Baptist churches tend to be small, theologically serious congregations that place a high value on expository preaching, careful doctrinal formation, and covenantal church membership.
Reformed Baptists are distinguished from other Baptists by their full embrace of Calvinist soteriology and their use of the 1689 Confession. They differ from Presbyterians in rejecting infant baptism. They differ from most evangelical Baptists in their strong confessionalism and their rejection of Arminian free-will theology.
Typically reverent and Word-centered, with expository preaching as the centerpiece of worship. Services often include psalm-singing or traditional hymns, careful observance of the Lord's Supper, and a strong emphasis on the preached Word.
Rooted in the 17th-century English Particular Baptist movement; the 1689 Confession was the defining document.
Producing influential theologians and preachers including Charles Spurgeon, who is often claimed by the Reformed Baptist tradition.