Who are the Free Will Baptists, and what do they believe?

Answer  
  

The Free Will Baptists are one of many denominations within the widely varied [Baptist](Baptists.html) realm. They are organized under the National Association of Free Will Baptists, or NAFWB, an association of autonomous local churches in regional, state, and national fellowships. Each church is governed in a [congregational style](congregationalism.html), meaning the entire membership votes democratically on nearly all decisions the church makes.  
  

As their name indicates, Free Will Baptists teach a strong [Arminian](arminianism.html) theology, which holds neither to unconditional election nor to an unconditional assurance of the [perseverance](perseverance-saints.html) of believers in their faith. As Baptists, they believe in believer’s baptism by immersion. Their understanding of God, the Trinity, salvation, and the Bible are all congruent with common Protestant teachings. One distinctive in the practice of all NAFWB churches is that they practice [foot washing](foot-washing.html) as a required ordinance of the church, alongside baptism and communion.  
  

Aside from their practice of foot washing, Freewill Baptist churches represent fairly standard, conservative Baptist churches, with an Arminian point of view.  
  

