| As the Separatist movement had gathered momentum, John Smyth became the Pastor of his own Gainsborough congregation.
For a while, William Brewster and a number of others from Scrooby travelled to worship at Gainsborough Old Hall. However, the difficult journey in bad weather may have added to decision to split this congregation into two churches – the smaller one being based at Brewster's Scrooby Manor. Smyth was a brilliant preacher and an able scholar. However, he was apt to cause rifts with his ever increasing radical views, including his self baptism. After settling in Holland, Smyth was ex-communicated from his own church. He then left the church with some followers. He died in 1612 from tuberculosis. Some of his remaining followers joined the Waterlander Mennonite Church. Others returned to London with Thomas Helwys to form the first Baptist Church in England.
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