First, let’s clear up the biggest coffee-break myth. The Baptists are not directly descended from John the Baptist himself. I know, it feels like it should be true—like the name is a dead giveaway. But no, sorry. John was a first-century prophet, and the modern Baptist movement didn’t kick off until the early 1600s. That’s a solid 1,600-year gap. Wild, right?
So where did they come from? Grab a tea refill—this gets good.