The Conventicle Act was in effect at the time, outlawing all religious meetings other than those of the Lutheran Church of Sweden.
A general conference was formed in 1857 through the work of pastor Anders Wiberg and others.
As of 2008[update], 220 parishes were affiliated with the Baptist Union of Sweden, consisting of more than 17,000 members.
For years there were ongoing discussions regarding a closer relationship with the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden (Svenska Missionskyrkan) and the United Methodist Church in Sweden (Metodistkyrkan i Sverige).
In the summer of 2008, the three church communions created a joint annual conference.