Preparation for Baptism

[Heirbyadoption]

Similar to Steve above, our Brethren groups have typically been a bit more "organic" (for lack of a better word) than most contemporary Anabaptist groups, and we simply encourage folks to attend for awhile before baptism and ask questions, engage the congregation, learn from the preaching and biblestudy, etc before committing to water baptism. But we have never had a catechism per se or a baptismal class, other than that, prior to the baptism, usually a couple of brethren (some combination of ministers or deacons or both) and their wives will meet with the applicant and go over the basics of our faith and make sure they have a clear understanding of what they are committing to. We tend to operate more along the lines of the books of Acts (ie. Acts 2, the Ethiopian eunuch, the Philippian jailer and family, etc), and encourage baptism pretty quickly after conversion, and then build on discipleship after the individual has been baptized...

[Josh]

Is there a bit of an ethos that the Bible should be the primary “instruction book”?

[mike]

Obviously the first step of preparation for baptism in the Anabaptist tradition is for a person to make a decision to repent of his sins and follow Christ. Once that has occurred, our church calls subsequent preparation for baptism "instruction class." It's a series of classes led by two ordained men every Tuesday night from the workbook Basic Bible Studies. It takes about 5-6 months to complete, although the baptism sometimes takes place before the course is finished.

The coursework consists of doing written work at home and then going over the answers in the class. At some point toward the end of the course, our entire statement of faith and rules of discipline are read to the class as well. Other than a short group meeting prior to the baptismal service, that's the preparation for baptism in our conference.

[Judas Maccabeus]

Obviously the first step of preparation for baptism in the Anabaptist tradition is for a person to make a decision to repent of his sins and follow Christ. Once that has occurred, our church calls subsequent preparation for baptism "instruction class." It's a series of classes led by two ordained men every Tuesday night from the workbook Basic Bible Studies. It takes about 5-6 months to complete, although the baptism sometimes takes place before the course is finished.

The coursework consists of doing written work at home and then going over the answers in the class. At some point toward the end of the course, our entire statement of faith and rules of discipline are read to the class as well. Other than a short group meeting prior to the baptismal service, that's the preparation for baptism in our conference.

We use the same book.

[Judas Maccabeus]

Similar to Steve above, our Brethren groups have typically been a bit more "organic" (for lack of a better word) than most contemporary Anabaptist groups, and we simply encourage folks to attend for awhile before baptism and ask questions, engage the congregation, learn from the preaching and biblestudy, etc before committing to water baptism. But we have never had a catechism per se or a baptismal class, other than that, prior to the baptism, usually a couple of brethren (some combination of ministers or deacons or both) and their wives will meet with the applicant and go over the basics of our faith and make sure they have a clear understanding of what they are committing to. We tend to operate more along the lines of the books of Acts (ie. Acts 2, the Ethiopian eunuch, the Philippian jailer and family, etc), and encourage baptism pretty quickly after conversion, and then build on discipleship after the individual has been baptized...

We see baptism more as a part of the discipleship process. I would contend that the Ethiopian Eunuch may have been a combination of Jewish immersion and Christian baptism, if he had tried to convert up in Jerusalem to Judaism, he would have been denied the opportunity to be united to God’s people. But I am certainly not dogmatic.

[ohio jones]

... if he had tried to convert up in Jerusalem to Judaism, he would have been denied the opportunity to be united to God’s people.

How so? I've always assumed he was already Jewish. If he had been Gentile, that would surely have been mentioned, as it was a couple chapters later with Cornelius, and Philip rather than Peter would have been the one summoned to Jerusalem to explain himself.

[mike]

Similar to Steve above, our Brethren groups have typically been a bit more "organic" (for lack of a better word) than most contemporary Anabaptist groups, and we simply encourage folks to attend for awhile before baptism and ask questions, engage the congregation, learn from the preaching and biblestudy, etc before committing to water baptism. But we have never had a catechism per se or a baptismal class, other than that, prior to the baptism, usually a couple of brethren (some combination of ministers or deacons or both) and their wives will meet with the applicant and go over the basics of our faith and make sure they have a clear understanding of what they are committing to. We tend to operate more along the lines of the books of Acts (ie. Acts 2, the Ethiopian eunuch, the Philippian jailer and family, etc), and encourage baptism pretty quickly after conversion, and then build on discipleship after the individual has been baptized...

I think that this is a more biblical approach than the typical conservative Mennonite way of requiring 4-6 months of instruction prior to baptism. Often the congratulatory statements at baptism include talk of being new believers or new brothers and sisters in the church, which is odd given that we feel they actually became children of God at their conversion some time earlier. Making baptism a distant subsequent event associates baptism more with formal church membership than with conversion itself.

[Josh]

On the flip side, the vast majority of evangelical churches disconnect church membership from baptism. The end result is they are severely lacking in instruction of new converts, discipline, and their converts living distinctly Christian lives. It reduces baptism to a meaningless religious ritual, much like infant baptism.

I do not see any benefit for conservative Mennonites to dispense baptisms somewhat like a fast-food restaurant dispensing beverages to anyone who comes in and asks for one, and eliminating the obvious scriptural connection between baptism and being part of the church body.

[mike]

On the flip side, the vast majority of evangelical churches disconnect church membership from baptism. The end result is they are severely lacking in instruction of new converts, discipline, and their converts living distinctly Christian lives. It reduces baptism to a meaningless religious ritual, much like infant baptism.

I do not see any benefit for conservative Mennonites to dispense baptisms somewhat like a fast-food restaurant dispensing beverages to anyone who comes in and asks for one, and eliminating the obvious scriptural connection between baptism and being part of the church body.

I agree that there is no need to flip over to the evangelical model. I would argue that the New Testament model is that baptism is very closely associated with conversion, that one becomes part of the body of Christ immediately at conversion, and that accountability, participation, and fellowship with the local body of believers is also closely associated with baptism. There is no reason that all of this cannot occur in a relatively short amount of time as it did in the New Testament. Formal doctrinal instruction can follow as well, if needed.

[Josh]

On the flip side, the vast majority of evangelical churches disconnect church membership from baptism. The end result is they are severely lacking in instruction of new converts, discipline, and their converts living distinctly Christian lives. It reduces baptism to a meaningless religious ritual, much like infant baptism.

I do not see any benefit for conservative Mennonites to dispense baptisms somewhat like a fast-food restaurant dispensing beverages to anyone who comes in and asks for one, and eliminating the obvious scriptural connection between baptism and being part of the church body.

I agree that there is no need to flip over to the evangelical model. I would argue that the New Testament model is that baptism is very closely associated with conversion, that one becomes part of the body of Christ immediately at conversion, and that accountability, participation, and fellowship with the local body of believers is also closely associated with baptism. There is no reason that all of this cannot occur in a relatively short amount of time as it did in the New Testament. Formal doctrinal instruction can follow as well, if needed.

#1, at least a brief amount of instruction prior to baptism (or prior to accepting a supplicant’s confession of faith, more accurately) seems appropriate.

To give you an example, a friend of mine and myself used to conduct a Bible study. A young lady started coming and eventually expressed a desire to be converted. A Baptist friend was present and immediately swooped in with the sinner’s prayer and then she got baptised at some random church the next weekend. The following week, on her Facebook she detailed how she was a Christian and saved me alongside how nobody needed to be concerned she’d be anti gay and that she fully accepted homosexuals, homosexual marriage, etc. - I would dare say she was not instructed properly. (She fell away from following Jesus within a few months by any reasonable standard.)

#2, I am perfectly fine with inducting supplicants into full membership much faster (3-6 weeks instead of 9-12 months). However, I am very much opposed to conducting baptisms at will, but still making formal church membership take months or years.

#3, one is hardly part of “the body of Christ” if one doesn’t attend church or isn’t a member anywhere. I see far too much of this. Much of what the NT described as Christian living is impossible to do when one is not part of an actual, visible church.