why do different Baptist churches not accept baptism in another baptist church?

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If a "Bible" church believes everything Baptists believe, would you accept their baptism...

Brethren, the only Biblical requirement for baptism that I can see is that the person must accept Christ first.

Oddly enough, one of the few non-Baptist churches that my home church WOULD recognize as performing legit baptism was the local Bible Church!
 
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Daniel, I have never heard of this. I do know that some Baptist churches will not accept baptism from another denomination. Others will not accept baptism if the person believed that it was essential to salvation.

Visit a Southern Baptist Church or Fundamentalist Baptist Church in the USA and talk to people there.

"Many churches operate under Landmark doctrine and probably don’t realize it. That’s the way it was when I came to West Main Baptist. Here’s the test: does your church make somebody from another denomination get rebaptized in order to join your church, regardless of the nature of their first baptism? If so, your church is most likely practicing Landmark doctrine. This idea is to not accept what is called alien immersion (ie, being baptized under a denomination other than Baptist) and stems from the belief that only baptisms done in a Baptist church are valid because the Baptist church is the only valid church. Therefore, many Baptist churches are rebaptizing people. They might not realize the theology behind the practice but continue it out of tradition. "
The Problem of Rebaptism in SBC Churches

When I was in the USAF, I had to be rebaptised several times otherwise, the members of the Church would treat me with hate.
 
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Daniel Marsh

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I don't think it's just Baptists, although it has been a while so I am not entirely sure ...most of them were Baptist ...but not all
I was relatively new in the Word having recently been rescued by God from playing on the wrong team and certain death….

I was searching different congregations for a good fit and every place I went wanted to baptize me with water. To which I would respond “I have already accepted Jesus Christ… I am born again and from what Acts 1:5 states …water is not necessary”….but they would persist….. so that …and other reasons caused me leave.

When I did find a church that felt like a fit, they also wanted to baptize me, even though I told him I was 1000 % sure I am born again (which I am) He still wanted to baptize me saying.... he needed to make sure and it was necessary to belong to the congregation.

So, one Sunday he caught up to me and said they were doing a baptism and wanted me there. I told him I didn’t need it, and I could prove it. ….I said “follow me”. We walked out of the church down the stairs and started walking towards the parking lot …when he stopped, and said “wait ..where are we going” I said “I am going to get some coffee…I’m buying”. He said, “I thought you said you could prove it”. I said “I just did”. “Jesus Christ told people to follow Him, and they did, I just told you to follow me ….and you did, so I must have Christ in me”……………..He told me not to come back.
It was a Blessing to leave that church and the Pastor is a
pharisee.jpg
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Daniel Marsh

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I don't know much about this - but I suspect "Missionary Baptist" or "Fundamental Baptists" might be what is referenced here.

It is odd because the SDA denomination would recognize the Baptism of all of them -- and we are not Baptist (technically speaking)
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Daniel Marsh

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When I was searching for a church that was Word-centered and zealous, I came upon a Southern Baptist Church that seemed to fit, and after a few visits I went to the Pastor and told him I wanted to join the church. He told me I had to be Baptized first. I told him I was already Baptized, and felt it would dishonor my Baptism to repeat it. I told him to be Baptized again would be a denial, or rejection, of my prior Baptism - which was into Christ - and that would be to me an insult to Christ.

He explained his insistence this way: they believe that one is Baptized into the particular individual church/parish that you seek to become a member of. I could not agree to that understanding, nor could I be Baptized again, so that was that. I left, disappointed and very saddened that such a requirement would exclude me and my understanding of the meaning of Baptism, from other Christians!
upload_2021-11-20_10-35-12.jpeg


I was attending Trinity Southern Baptist Church in Vacaville, CA and because I refused to be rebaptized I was treated with hate by all but, my friends who invited me to join them there.
 
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Daniel Marsh

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Out of curiousity was your baptism "believer's baptism" in some other denomination than Baptist?

The denomination I belong to accepts "believer's baptism" in other denominations so that when someone wants to join - we ask them to look over a set of Bible studies that explains what we find in the Bible - and if they agree to it they join by "profession of faith" not baptism since they already were baptized as a believer.

Remember the early church fathers were taught by the Apostles.

Didache Chapter 7. Concerning Baptism. And concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. But if you have no living water, baptize into other water; and if you cannot do so in cold water, do so in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit. But before the baptism let the baptizer fast, and the baptized, and whoever else can; but you shall order the baptized to fast one or two days before.
 
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You will note that "Trail of Blood" was the work cited for that list. A true masterpiece of revisionist church history cobbled together to make a case for something that couldn't be proven otherwise. Basically, the whole thing boils down to "they rejected Roman Catholic oversight and so should you". Landmarker thinking holds a strong influence on SBC ecclesiology.
Errors in "The Trail of Blood'?

"
Let us examine each of these groups...

1. Montanists, denied all second marriages, even after the death of the spouse. They required all virgins wear veils in Church. They denied the forgiveness of sins, thus making a movement without hope.

2. Novatianists, taught that no sin was to be forgiven after Baptism. They too denied second marriages under any circumstances. Novatian covertly had himself declared a Bishop and was subsequently ex-communicated.

3. Donatists, taught that the true Church consisted only of the elect and that Baptisms were only valid when performed by a Donatist.

4. Paulicians, believed in the plurality of gods, held that all matter was bad, rejected the Old Testament, denied the incarnation, said Christ was an angel. They refused to honor the cross, by saying Christ had not been crucified.

5. Albigensians, believed in two gods, one good and the other evil. They rejected all sacraments, declared it was sinful to marry. This promoted sexual permissiveness. Pregnancy was to be avoided and abortion was promoted.

6. Catharists, followers of all the heresies of the Albigensians.






7. Waldenses, taught that the Church should have no property and condemned tithing. Interestingly, they accepted the Holy Eucharist as the Body of Christ.

8. Anabaptists, practiced polygamy and communism. They condemned oaths as unlawful. Anabaptists were founded by Thomas Munser in 1521. This fact alone refutes the Baptist claim to antiquity.


In recounting the 'deeds' of these heretical groups, why would anyone want to claim any of them as ancestral 'proof' of their origin?"
The Trail of Blood
Anabaptist Heresies Exposed: The Trail Of Blood: A book review
 
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Visit a Southern Baptist Church or Fundamentalist Baptist Church in the USA and talk to people there.

"Many churches operate under Landmark doctrine and probably don’t realize it. That’s the way it was when I came to West Main Baptist. Here’s the test: does your church make somebody from another denomination get rebaptized in order to join your church, regardless of the nature of their first baptism? If so, your church is most likely practicing Landmark doctrine. This idea is to not accept what is called alien immersion (ie, being baptized under a denomination other than Baptist) and stems from the belief that only baptisms done in a Baptist church are valid because the Baptist church is the only valid church. Therefore, many Baptist churches are rebaptizing people. They might not realize the theology behind the practice but continue it out of tradition. "
The Problem of Rebaptism in SBC Churches

When I was in the USAF, I had to be rebaptised several times otherwise, the members of the Church would treat me with hate.

Landmarkism is STRONG in the SBC. Back in 2005, their International Mission Board totally doubled down on "alien immersion" for missionary candidates:
"2. The Church
a.Baptism is a church ordinance.
Baptism must take place in a church that practices believer’s baptism by immersion alone, does not view baptism as sacramental or regenerative, and a church that embraces the doctrine of the security of the believer.
b. A candidate who has not been baptized in a Southern Baptist church or in a church which meets the standards listed above is expected to request baptism in his/her Southern Baptist church as a testimony of identification with the system of belief held by Southern Baptist churches."


NOTE: This policy was relaxed in 2015 in favor of a policy that merely requires post-conversion immersion and endorsement by the candidate of SBC baptismal theology.
 
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Out of all my aged years _ this is news to me. Baptist Churches I know of feel once baptized, always baptized , no need for another baptism if or when you join a different Baptist Church. But with these newer denominations I guess it is possible.
Maybe these links give a bit on info
Do I Need to Be Re-baptized?
The Problem of Rebaptism in SBC Churches

And in all fairness, these Baptist churches that would re-baptize another Baptist are outliers, not the norm. If you come from a non-Baptist denomination, though, even if you were immersed, there's going to be a question because of that Landmarker thinking.
In churches belonging to the American Baptists or the CBF, they're not going to be nearly that strict.
Southern Baptists? Independent Baptists? You betcha.

NOW...to add another layer to the discussion, that first link is from a minister of the Christian Church (instrument-playing cousin of Church of Christ). His view that only baptisms done when the subject is fully aware that it is for the remission of sins contradicts Baptist teachings of "outward sign of an inward grace"; in fact, he even calls out that view. This is why my wife would have to be re-baptized by the Southern Baptists; she was baptized by a Christian Church pastor even though that was not her understanding (the minister in question was her first husband's father...)
 
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And in all fairness, these Baptist churches that would re-baptize another Baptist are outliers, not the norm. If you come from a non-Baptist denomination, though, even if you were immersed, there's going to be a question because of that Landmarker thinking.
In churches belonging to the American Baptists or the CBF, they're not going to be nearly that strict.
Southern Baptists? Independent Baptists? You betcha.

NOW...to add another layer to the discussion, that first link is from a minister of the Christian Church (instrument-playing cousin of Church of Christ). His view that only baptisms done when the subject is fully aware that it is for the remission of sins contradicts Baptist teachings of "outward sign of an inward grace"; in fact, he even calls out that view. This is why my wife would have to be re-baptized by the Southern Baptists; she was baptized by a Christian Church pastor even though that was not her understanding (the minister in question was her first husband's father...)

I read the link before I post it. That was a surprise to me because I've never heard any of this. I have attended Southern Baptist Churches but since I never attempted to join I never faced or heard of that issue. Is it doctrine of all Southern Baptists or just some? I am from the time when it was just Baptist or Missionary Baptist. There are so many different denominations now it's almost mind-boggling.
I believe one only needs to be baptized once after birth in water submersion. If one were baptized as an infant or toddler with the sprinkling - they should be baptized in the submersion of water once they've become of a knowledgeable age ( knowing who Christ is).
Blessings
 
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I read the link before I post it. That was a surprise to me because I've never heard any of this. I have attended Southern Baptist Churches but since I never attempted to join I never faced or heard of that issue. Is it doctrine of all Southern Baptists or just some? I am from the time when it was just Baptist or Missionary Baptist. There are so many different denominations now it's almost mind-boggling.
I believe one only needs to be baptized once after birth in water submersion. If one were baptized as an infant or toddler with the sprinkling - they should be baptized in the submersion of water once they've become of a knowledgeable age ( knowing who Christ is).
Blessings

"American Baptists" were pretty much the original Baptists in the US; the Southern Baptists split off about 1845 over slavery. If you're in the south, it's quite unlikely you'd have ever heard of them; they don't really exist south of the Ohio River. (PS: most of the denomination names we're tossing out here originated in the 1800s.)
As for the doctrine you ask about, it's a majority view in the SBC but there are churches that don't get that hardcore about it.
 
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I read the link before I post it. That was a surprise to me because I've never heard any of this. I have attended Southern Baptist Churches but since I never attempted to join I never faced or heard of that issue. Is it doctrine of all Southern Baptists or just some? I am from the time when it was just Baptist or Missionary Baptist. There are so many different denominations now it's almost mind-boggling.
I believe one only needs to be baptized once after birth in water submersion. If one were baptized as an infant or toddler with the sprinkling - they should be baptized in the submersion of water once they've become of a knowledgeable age ( knowing who Christ is).
Blessings
Jesus has always blessed me with wisdom and ability to study the Bible, culture, history, customs. Hebrew is my first language -- I do not speak it today because family members who spoke it are with out Lord. Thus, Churches automatically wanted me to be a member.
 
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Visit a Southern Baptist Church or Fundamentalist Baptist Church in the USA and talk to people there.

"Many churches operate under Landmark doctrine and probably don’t realize it. That’s the way it was when I came to West Main Baptist. Here’s the test: does your church make somebody from another denomination get rebaptized in order to join your church, regardless of the nature of their first baptism? If so, your church is most likely practicing Landmark doctrine. This idea is to not accept what is called alien immersion (ie, being baptized under a denomination other than Baptist) and stems from the belief that only baptisms done in a Baptist church are valid because the Baptist church is the only valid church. Therefore, many Baptist churches are rebaptizing people. They might not realize the theology behind the practice but continue it out of tradition. "
The Problem of Rebaptism in SBC Churches

When I was in the USAF, I had to be rebaptised several times otherwise, the members of the Church would treat me with hate.

No I don't know of any Baptist Churches that require you to be re-baptized - ministers will ask you have you been baptized, if you haven't they ask you if you want to be baptized and if you do will baptize you but never re-baptized.
NO - no Baptist Church I have ever attended or was a member of / required one to be baptized again because they came from a different Church.
No Baptist Church I have went to in Houston has required this that I have ever heard.
I requested baptism around 9 or 10 years of age - a member of several different Baptist churches and was never asked to be re-baptized. But with these newer churches, new denominations, changing views of the 1960s/1970's, somewhere that trend was adopted.
 
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No I don't know of any Baptist Churches that require you to be re-baptized - ministers will ask you have you been baptized, if you haven't they ask you if you want to be baptized and if you do will baptize you but never re-baptized.
NO - no Baptist Church I have ever attended or was a member of / required one to be baptized again because they came from a different Church.
No Baptist Church I have went to in Houston has required this that I have ever heard.
I requested baptism around 9 or 10 years of age - a member of several different Baptist churches and was never asked to be re-baptized. But with these newer churches, new denominations, changing views of the 1960s/1970's, somewhere that trend was adopted.

I always tell folks that the Baptists are very broad in their doctrines. The only thing they seem to have in common is adult baptism by immersion. I have seen Baptist churches ranging from extreme Free Will (Arminian) to extreme Reformed (Calvinist). It should come as no great surprise that there are some Baptist churches out there that require rebaptism. I do not believe that it is a common doctrine, but there are some out that that do as I know from my own personal experience.
 
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