The New Testament places great emphasis upon the Local Church. From Acts Two and onward, wherever one looks, in everything from spiritual nurturing to world evangelism, the Local Church is the center and compass of God's dealings with His people. One would be pressed to find a single example of work or ministry described in the Bible that was independent of the Local Church. It is a great and glorious emphasis, and Independent Baptists have generally been unique in giving it its proper place.

The late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries saw the rise of...