Old Baptist Union

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The Old Baptist Union is a small group of evangelical Baptist churches in the United Kingdom dedicated to the proclamation of the gospel. The Old Baptist Union was founded in 1880, owing largely to the labors of Henry Squire, an itinerant preacher. The churches of the Old Baptist Union are considered General Baptists, because they hold the position of general atonement - that in His death, Jesus atoned generally for the sins of ALL men, making it possible that anyone who believes the gospel might be saved. The Union is a member of both the Free Churches Council and the Evangelical Alliance. Its government structure is somewhat of a combination between Congregationalism and Presbyterianism. The Old Baptist Union's executive body is called the "Council of Representatives," and is composed of all the ordained officers of churches holding membership in the Union. An Annual General Meeting is held. Some individual churches may also be affiliated with the Baptist Union of Great Britain. According to their official site, the Old Baptist Union is fully committed to three principles of their earliest labors: "an unequivocal adherence to the Bible, an openness to fellowship with all who love the Lord Jesus Christ and a commitment to preach the full gospel." Currently the Old Baptist Union has 17 member churches (16 in England and 1 in the Netherlands) with about 700 members.