Baptism is only for teenagers and adults who recognise Jesus as their Saviour. Before being baptised, the candidate will be asked to attend preparation classes for approximately a month. These weekly classes consist of studying the Bible. The baptism service is usually part of the Sunday evening service. A candidate for baptism does not need to dress formally for the occasion and usually wears casual clothing. They sit at the front of the church for the ceremony. Baptism normally takes place in a large tank of pool at the front of the Church called a Baptistry, although they may also take place in rivers, seas, swimming pools and other places containing water.
The service begins with the congregation singing a hymn of the candidate’s choice. A prayer is then spoken and then the minister will deliver a sermon, which is normally addressed as an exhortation to the candidate. Another hymn is sung and the candidate is interviewed by the minister. The candidate gives a brief word of witness. Two senior church members then give a dialogue explaining the importance and meaning of baptism to the candidate.
The candidate is then asked three questions on their faith. The first question is ‘Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the son of the living God and that He came into the world in human flesh to save us from sin and deliver us from the wrath to come?’ The second question is ‘Do you, in the presence of God and of this company of people, make profession of repentance towards God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and do you affirm that you trust only in Christ and His death for your salvation?’ The third question is ‘Do you understand that God commands you to live for Him in accordance with the profession of faith you now make; and that it is God’s will that you maintain communion with Him by prayer, Bible study and fellowship with other believers in church life?’ The candidate will answer ‘I do’ to each question.
The candidate is then asked to enter the water. The minister will then say ‘On profession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ I now baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ The candidate is then fully immersed in the water by the minister and raised up again. The immersion in the water symbolises death. Going under the water shows that we have been ‘buried with him through baptism into death.’ Coming up out of the water symbolizes the resurrection, ‘in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may lead a new life.’ (Romans 6:4)
The congregation then sings another hymn and takes part in prayer to end the ceremony.
Dear Tom and Mandy,
I can understand your dilemma about whether Peter should be baptised or not. I shall attempt to help you decide by outlining both sides of the argument for you.
In the New Testament, there are references to ‘households’ being baptised. These households may have included children so it is entirely possible that Jesus meant for children to be baptised as well as adults. In addition to this, if you baptise Peter and he does not grow up to be a Christian, it will not be a disaster because he will not be a full member of the Church until he grows up and asked to confirm publicly his belief in Jesus.
However, some Christians believe that infant baptism is meaningless as the child is too young to realise and appreciate what is going on. As well as this, many believe that the child should make their own decision about baptism and that the parents should not have any say in the matter.
I agree with the latter point of view. I think that Peter should not get baptised until he is old enough to decide for himself whether he wants to be baptised or not. I believe that baptism at such an early age is pointless because membership of Christ does not depend on a ritual act but instead through faith.
Yours sincerely,
David Clements
Bibliography
Windsor Baptist Order of Service
Class notes
Word Count – 732 words
