Baptism is by Full Immersion

The word used in the scriptures for baptised is the Greek word baptizo meaning to immerse or submerge, make clean and overwhelm; and is best described by the irreversible processed of long term pickling. So while the full immersion method of Baptism best illustrates the work of Christ, these passages do not mandate how much water should be used to achieve this. The value of the sacrament of Baptism is in the life and heart of the believer, not in the amount of water used. At Park City Church we will normally conduct immersion Baptisms within our 10:30am Sunday services using an old converted freezer! Occasionally as requested by the brave or in a special circumstance, we will Baptise in a lake, river or in the sea.

You do not have to be baptized to have Christ in your heart any more than you must exchange rings to be pronounced man and wife. But if the inner commitment to trust Christ alone for salvation has been made, then the outward symbol of Baptism should be as valued and as visible as the gold ring on a newlywed's finger.

While we recognise the right for other churches to practice infant Baptism if it conforms to their theologies, we also understand that Scripture teaches that only professing believers of knowledgeable age qualify for Baptism due to the commitment and understanding required. As such we see that infant Baptism is more accurately thought of as infant dedication.

Summary

Scriptural teaching on the Baptism of repentance may be summarized as follows:

1. Baptism is an act of obedience to the command of Christ, fulfilled by individuals who have submitted themselves to His sovereignty through the practice of repentance.
2. Baptism symbolizes the spiritual cleansing through divine forgiveness and the newness of life experience by believers by virtue of their identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.
3. Baptism provides an opportunity for believers to make a formal profession of their faith before the church.
4. As a biblical rite of initiation into the body of Christ, Baptism of believers is generally considered a prerequisite to active ministry in any part of the Body of Jesus Christ - His Church.

What to do next if you want to get Baptised

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it