A New Trend for Baptisms?

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by Sherri

As long as Bro. Hardwick is in the picture at all, they WILL baptize in Jesus' name. I'm sure of that.

However Elder Hardwick is getting on up there.

[jaxfam6]

Originally Posted by 1Corinth2v4

Upon the confession of your faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, I now baptize you, Pianoman, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins (dunk)


The entire congregation should hear the "spoken" (..In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.)

I would say that the minister and the person being baptised qualifies as 2 or 3so no one else has to hear.

[StillStanding]

I was told this evening that the new way of doing the baptismal part of the service was done for time saving reasons. At a large church like Christ Church, sometimes the baptisms take up a lot of time.

If you recall, I complained on here about our services running too long on Sunday mornings! I guess I wasn't the only one!

There are certain preachers that I have complete faith in how they baptize. There are others that I don't know well enough to trust! Before too long, Christ Church will be hiring a new assistant pastor. Who they choose will tell me a lot about the direction Christ Church is taking.

[Carpenter]

I sent Pastor Scott my resume but I haven't heard back yet.

I will let you know this. I will ask you to read the commandment in scripture to me then baptize you exactly like it says to...

Hows that?

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by Pianoman

I was told this evening that the new way of doing the baptismal part of the service was done for time saving reasons. At a large church like Christ Church, sometimes the baptisms take up a lot of time.

If you recall, I complained on here about our services running too long on Sunday mornings! I guess I wasn't the only one!

There are certain preachers that I have complete faith in how they baptize. There are others that I don't know well enough to trust! Before too long, Christ Church will be hiring a new assistant pastor. Who they choose will tell me a lot about the direction Christ Church is taking.

I told them I couldn't live on that $500 a week.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Pianoman

It's so ingrained in those of us with UPC DNA to have to hear the words, "I now baptize you in Jesus name!".

This new system requires us to trust the church leadership. As of right now, I trust our church leadership, but if a new guy comes along that I don't know, I might question how he/he is baptizing.

The more important question might be: Did they use microphones in Bible times?

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by 1Corinth2v4

Upon the confession of your faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, I now baptize you, Pianoman, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins (dunk)


The entire congregation should hear the "spoken" (..In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.)

If only 2-3 witnesses are needed, then why does the entire congregation need to hear the words? I trust my pastor to baptize people according to the Word. I don't need to hear what he is saying all the way to the back door.

[Steve Epley]

My problem with this is simple CC does NOT preach baptism in Jesus Name openly nor is much said about the HGB, so if the audience do not hear what the preacher says then how will visitors and some members know how they baptize? It just seems another step away from the Pentecostal distinction.
The frog in the pan of water being brought slowly to a boil until it is too late.

[Sister Alvear]

I don´t like boiled frog!

[PMBrown]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

If only 2-3 witnesses are needed, then why does the entire congregation need to hear the words? I trust my pastor to baptize people according to the Word. I don't need to hear what he is saying all the way to the back door.

The issue need not be a trust one. I think there's also something else involved: baptism is (among other things, of course) a public reception of people into the life of the church. Therefore its central to the meaning of baptism that this special once-in-a-lifetime event is shared in full by the person being baptised and the congregation. In addition, the public point of baptism means that "witnesses" necessarily means more than just the minister and the one being baptised.