Why the Baptist Tradition Remains Largely American

The relative global numbers are counterintuitive for Americans, who naturally re­gard Baptists as a very significant part of the Christian spectrum. Outside the United States, though, Baptists are quite a marginal presence. Africa's 10 million Baptists are a tiny proportion of a continental Christian total ap­proaching half a billion. Out of Brazil's 45 million Protes­tants, just 2 million are Baptists.