If anyone and everyone can baptize, then why did Jesus go out of his way to track down John the Baptist?
Well, from a scriptural [KJB] perspective, "baptism" needs to be done by a believer [say rather than an atheist or buddhist, daoist, islamicist, etc], as a bare minimum in the NT. The Baptism must be by full immersion, as a second, since it represents the grave [I mean think about sprinkling/pouring a little dirt over a casket, and walk away, saying, "That's good."], death, burial and resurrection; Romans 6, etc. Also there must be belief of the person being baptized with full understanding, confession and turning away from of sins, acknowledging Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour, and may include righting any known wrongs before doing so, and ceasing from known and open sin [smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, fornication, cohabitating, etc]
From an OT persepctive, Naaman was baptized by following the command of God through Elisha the prophet - 2 Kings 5:1-27 KJB.
At the beginning of Jesus' ministry, and even of John's, the disciples baptized:
John 4:2 KJB - (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
John 3:23 KJB - And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
John 3:24 KJB - For John was not yet cast into prison.
John 3:25 KJB - Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.
At that point, they weren't called "Apostles", or "elders" [and even 'John the Apostle', at that time, was really young, around 18], or even "deacons", or anything, just "disciples".
Philip was simply an ordained [laying on of hands, and Holy Ghost] deacon:
Acts 6:5 KJB - And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
Acts 8:26 KJB - And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
Acts 8:27 KJB - And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
Acts 8:28 KJB - Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
Acts 8:29 KJB - Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
Acts 8:30 KJB - And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
Acts 8:31 KJB - And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
Acts 8:32 KJB - The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
Acts 8:33 KJB - In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
Acts 8:34 KJB - And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
Acts 8:35 KJB - Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Acts 8:36 KJB - And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
Acts 8:37 KJB - And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Acts 8:38 KJB - And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Acts 8:39 KJB - And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
