n
a member of the largest group of Protestant Christians in the US, with over 38 million members around the world, including a small number in Britain. The group was formed in England in the early 17th century by people who disagreed with other Protestants about the ceremony of baptism. Baptists believe in putting a new member of the Church completely under water during baptism. They also believe that baptism should be for adults and not for children, because they think that children are not old enough to understand what the ceremony means.