- May 13, 2018
- 23
- 15
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Baptist
- Marital Status
- Single
- Politics
- US-Republican
While I am a Baptist, the church I attend isn't Baptist per se. It might've been once, but it's more non-denominational than anything. I do believe they are a God-fearing church and are scripturally sound amid a few minor disagreements I have with them. However, there is one major issue that is impossible for me to ignore any longer.
In all my two years of going there, not once have I seen them perform a baptism (in church or elsewhere). I've been told they have done baptisms before and I've heard them announce baptism "classes", but other than that, I've never seen it done. When I inquired about it from a fellow church member and what I overheard the pastor say to someone, the answer I get as to why baptisms are so rare there is, paraphrasing, that they absolutely, positively, without a doubt want to make sure that the person has given his/her heart over to Christ before they go through with it.
This makes sense to a degree, but not one person in two years? If they had done any during that time frame, I certainly wasn't aware. On top of that, there is nowhere in the building to do a baptism anyways.
What comes to mind is the story of Philip the Evangelist baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch the same day that he met him. He didn't get to know the eunuch personally or hang out with him over the course of dozens of Sunday services to see if his heart was in the right place. The eunuch made a confession and was baptized accordingly.
While I have overlooked this issue for a while, it still makes me uncomfortable. I am seeking any advice on how I should approach this. Should I confront my pastor, and if so, what should I say? Or perhaps it isn't a hill to die on?
In all my two years of going there, not once have I seen them perform a baptism (in church or elsewhere). I've been told they have done baptisms before and I've heard them announce baptism "classes", but other than that, I've never seen it done. When I inquired about it from a fellow church member and what I overheard the pastor say to someone, the answer I get as to why baptisms are so rare there is, paraphrasing, that they absolutely, positively, without a doubt want to make sure that the person has given his/her heart over to Christ before they go through with it.
This makes sense to a degree, but not one person in two years? If they had done any during that time frame, I certainly wasn't aware. On top of that, there is nowhere in the building to do a baptism anyways.
What comes to mind is the story of Philip the Evangelist baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch the same day that he met him. He didn't get to know the eunuch personally or hang out with him over the course of dozens of Sunday services to see if his heart was in the right place. The eunuch made a confession and was baptized accordingly.
While I have overlooked this issue for a while, it still makes me uncomfortable. I am seeking any advice on how I should approach this. Should I confront my pastor, and if so, what should I say? Or perhaps it isn't a hill to die on?
