Baptism issue

[LizzieR]

I was christened as a baby in the Anglican Church, and then came to faith as an adult and was subsequently confirmed, also in the Anglican Church. My husband is in a similar position, although he was brought up in a a Christian household. We recently started attending a non-denominational church, and they are now talking about refusing us membership because we were not baptised as adults.

In principle I have no issue with being baptised as an adult. However, my parents, who are not Christians, christened me as they thought it was the right thing to do, and I don't want to dishonour them by getting baptised now, knowing it would upset them. I feel very comfortable with this position, especially given that I speak in tongues, get visions, pictures and words from God etc. However it is clear that our new church is not willing to be flexible.

What should I do?

 

[faroukfarouk]

I was christened as a baby in the Anglican Church, and then came to faith as an adult and was subsequently confirmed, also in the Anglican Church. My husband is in a similar position, although he was brought up in a a Christian household. We recently started attending a non-denominational church, and they are now talking about refusing us membership because we were not baptised as adults.

In principle I have no issue with being baptised as an adult. However, my parents, who are not Christians, christened me as they thought it was the right thing to do, and I don't want to dishonour them by getting baptised now, knowing it would upset them. I feel very comfortable with this position, especially given that I speak in tongues, get visions, pictures and words from God etc. However it is clear that our new church is not willing to be flexible.

What should I do?

Hi; Acts 2.41-42 is a good guide to the sequence of events.

 

[miamited]

Hi lizzie,

You wrote:

However, my parents, who are not Christians, christened me as they thought it was the right thing to do, and I don't want to dishonour them by getting baptised now, knowing it would upset them.

So, now the question to you becomes. Is your goal to please your parents or to please God? Is that what you're going to say to God on the day of His judgment? "Well God, I knew that I needed to be baptized but I was just too concerned with what my parents would think. So, I chose not to dishonor my parents and to rather dishonor you. I'm sorry"

When Jesus spoke of our being saved, he said that one who believes and is baptized will be saved. The belief comes first, then we are baptized. This is the problem that most of those who believe in the Scriptural mandate for baptism have against those who would baptize infants and young children. They generally have no awareness of what it means to believe and therefore are not ready to be baptized.

Now, you have come to the realization of the truth and I would encourage that you now be baptized. I was in the same boat as you. My grandfather was a pastor and it was a big deal in our family to get all the children baptized as soon as they could say yes to the question of whether or not they believed in Jesus. But it is my testimony that I really didn't come to understand what it meant to believe in Jesus until I was near 40 years old. I was baptized a second time. I honestly don't think that the first baptism was of any value to me.

God bless,
In Christ, ted

 

[TuxAme]

Does the Anglican Church make use of baptismal certificates? If so, that should be all you need.

Sounds like this particular church is fairly baptist in theology. Is that what you're looking for?

 

[com7fy8]

Well, first I might see if and how the church has been good for you.

Then consider who our family really is.

 

[SkyWriting]

I was christened as a baby in the Anglican Church, and then came to faith as an adult and was subsequently confirmed, also in the Anglican Church. My husband is in a similar position, although he was brought up in a a Christian household. We recently started attending a non-denominational church, and they are now talking about refusing us membership because we were not baptised as adults.

In principle I have no issue with being baptised as an adult. However, my parents, who are not Christians, christened me as they thought it was the right thing to do, and I don't want to dishonour them by getting baptised now, knowing it would upset them. I feel very comfortable with this position, especially given that I speak in tongues, get visions, pictures and words from God etc. However it is clear that our new church is not willing to be flexible.

What should I do?

Always, always, always...find a new church.
Wave buh-buy to those who don't love you.
Just disappear from their lives.

Or just attend as visitors. Let them beg you to
join if they wish.

 

[Acts2:38]

I was christened as a baby in the Anglican Church, and then came to faith as an adult and was subsequently confirmed, also in the Anglican Church. My husband is in a similar position, although he was brought up in a a Christian household. We recently started attending a non-denominational church, and they are now talking about refusing us membership because we were not baptised as adults.

In principle I have no issue with being baptised as an adult. However, my parents, who are not Christians, christened me as they thought it was the right thing to do, and I don't want to dishonour them by getting baptised now, knowing it would upset them. I feel very comfortable with this position, especially given that I speak in tongues, get visions, pictures and words from God etc. However it is clear that our new church is not willing to be flexible.

What should I do?

Hi lizzie,

You wrote:


So, now the question to you becomes. Is your goal to please your parents or to please God? Is that what you're going to say to God on the day of His judgment? "Well God, I knew that I needed to be baptized but I was just too concerned with what my parents would think. So, I chose not to dishonor my parents and to rather dishonor you. I'm sorry"

When Jesus spoke of our being saved, he said that one who believes and is baptized will be saved. The belief comes first, then we are baptized. This is the problem that most of those who believe in the Scriptural mandate for baptism have against those who would baptize infants and young children. They generally have no awareness of what it means to believe and therefore are not ready to be baptized.

Now, you have come to the realization of the truth and I would encourage that you now be baptized. I was in the same boat as you. My grandfather was a pastor and it was a big deal in our family to get all the children baptized as soon as they could say yes to the question of whether or not they believed in Jesus. But it is my testimony that I really didn't come to understand what it meant to believe in Jesus until I was near 40 years old. I was baptized a second time. I honestly don't think that the first baptism was of any value to me.

God bless,
In Christ, ted

Mr. Ted hit the nail on the head with this issue. As an infant, can you have remission of sins and are you accountable for your actions? Acts 2:38

 

[TuxAme]

Mr. Ted hit the nail on the head with this issue. As an infant, can you have remission of sins and are you accountable for your actions? Acts 2:38

Personal sins aren't the only sins that we need remission for, though.

 

[Radagast]

I was christened as a baby in the Anglican Church, and then came to faith as an adult and was subsequently confirmed, also in the Anglican Church. My husband is in a similar position, although he was brought up in a a Christian household. We recently started attending a non-denominational church, and they are now talking about refusing us membership because we were not baptised as adults.

There are two broad views of Baptism out there ("infant baptism" and "believer's baptism").

Any broadly Baptist church will indeed insist that infant baptism is not enough -- that your "christening" was not actually a baptism. That theology is what makes them Baptist.

Get yourself baptised again, or find a non-Baptist church. Those are your only options.

 

[Paidiske]

Radagast is right.

But I would add, do some reading and thinking about these two views, and work out which you believe to be correct; and that will give you a solid basis for making your decision.

 

[miamited]

Personal sins aren't the only sins that we need remission for, though.

Hi tuxame,

What other sins do we need it for. Do I need remission for my mother's sin or my father's sin? My brother's or sister's sin. Even if personal sin weren't the only thing we needed remission for, an infant or small child cannot know what they are being baptized for. The entire issue of baptism, as I understand it from the Scriptures, is that it is something that the one being baptized has to seek.

Just because a mother or father puts a baby in someone's arms and says, "Here, baptize my baby." That's of no substantive value for the personal or non-personal sins for which they need forgiveness for.

Anyway, for the OP I would suggest that you do some research on your own and find all the places where the Scriptures example that someone else can make the decision for one to be baptized without their own cognizant understanding of what they are doing.

The OP mentions that she was 'christened'. Now I don't know how her faith community understands what being christened is, but in the fellowships that I've been enjoined with a christening is not a baptism. A christening is a service where blessings are asked upon a child and the parents make a commitment before the fellowship that they will raise their child in the ways of God. If that's the case in her faith community, then she still needs to be baptized according to the Scriptures.

God bless,
In Christ, ted

 

[Paidiske]

Christening is a word commonly (but slightly inaccurately) used for baptism in the Anglican church (which is the OP's background). So the OP will have received baptism as an infant.

 

[miamited]

Christening is a word commonly (but slightly inaccurately) used for baptism in the Anglican church (which is the OP's background). So the OP will have received baptism as an infant.

Hi paidiske,

Oh, well then I will move back to my initial position on the issue. Thanks for the insight.

God bless,
In Christ, ted

 

[Radagast]

A christening is a service where blessings are asked upon a child and the parents make a commitment before the fellowship that they will raise their child in the ways of God.

Among broadly Baptist churches, who don't baptise infants, that often happens.

Among Anglicans, Catholics, Continental Reformed, Orthodox, Presbyterians, etc., infants are actually baptised, and those groups understand that that is the only kind of baptism required.

 

[Philip_B]

My take on this for what it's worth is that the Nicene Creed says something very important.

I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. (Ephesians 4:5; Acts 2:38)

The point about this, as I see it that, for all that keeps us apart we are acknowledging the baptismal rites of various other churches. This is the natural consequence of our belief in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. There is more that binds us together than keeps us apart.

We are in the end baptised Christian, according to the rites of ... We are not baptised Anglican/Catholic/Baptist/..., we are not clothed in a denomination, we are clothed in Christ. For me any notion of 're-baptism' is something I would have huge trouble accepting. If there is a real concern about the validity of the rite (ie not with water, or not with the threefold name etc) then a conditional baptism could be considered.

The Creed say One Baptism. One Lord, One Faith, One Church, One Baptism. I have too much respect for the other traditions of faith to think we should be saying that baptism in their tradition is not valid. John 17.

 

[Radagast]

We are in the end baptised Christian, according to the rites of ... We are not baptised Anglican/Catholic/Baptist/..., we are not clothed in a denomination, we are clothed in Christ. For me any notion of 're-baptism' is something I would have huge trouble accepting.

Among Anglicans, Catholics, Continental Reformed, Presbyterians, etc., baptisms from other denominations are generally accepted.

However, denominations with Baptist theology have an entirely different view of baptism, and will not accept infant baptisms from anywhere.

That's just the way it is.

 

[LizzieR]

"Does the Anglican Church make use of baptismal certificates? If so, that should be all you need."

I do have official cards/certificates showing the date I was christened and confirmed, but they think I should be rebaotised as an adult.

"Sounds like this particular church is fairly baptist in theology. Is that what you're looking for?"

It wouldn't normally be a big issue for me - our previous house church were ok with our status, but this one isn't. They only started making an issue of it when we completed our membership forms, having been there for six months now.

 

[Radagast]

I do have official cards/certificates showing the date I was christened and confirmed

And those will mean nothing to a theologically Baptist church.

but they think I should be rebaotised as an adult.

Yes, that's what theologically Baptist churches do.

 

[LizzieR]

Ok, thank you everyone for your thoughts. Much appreciated. I guess I have a decision to make.