steve-in-kville wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 8:02 amJudas Maccabeus wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 7:26 amsteve-in-kville wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 6:29 amSome groups make a big deal about it having to be "running water" as in a creek or stream. Others, not so much.
This was in a farm pond.
That actually shocks me a bit. If its gonna be outside, they want moving water.
Fancy this, my wife remembers that her mom made a special dress for baptisms for her and her sisters... it had lead weights sown into the hem to keep it under the water. It's the little things, I guess
We (being Brethren, not Menno) have historically pushed for running water at baptism if possible, though ponds have always been acceptable when a creek or river is not practical at the time. There are quite a few in ponds nowadays in the midwest (Ohio, Indiana, etc) nowadays, somewhat of a compromise between outside and availability. We have/do use pools or tubs for disabled folks, but its not very common.
Sudsy, as a couple of historical notes, "Brethren" church groups (those various groups descended from the Anabaptist/Pietist influenced Schwarzenau Brethren, such as OGBBs, Old Brethren, Church of the Brethren, Grace Brethren, etc, etc) were pretty much historically forward-dipping trine immersionists from their original organization in the early 1700s. Per baptizing outside or in rivers/ponds, though, the Church of the Brethren and other connected (and typically more progressive) groups did move towards using actual baptismals in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Also, if I'm not mistaken, the River Brethren (who were/are technically pietistic-influenced Mennonites) derived their trine-immersion practice from our folks as well when they began, having come to us for advice when they experienced revival and pulled out of the Mennonite Church way back in the day.
Steve, we don't do the weights, although that's actually not a bad idea, lol. At their baptism, our sisters still wear a white apron over their dresses which pretty well weights everything down once it gets wet.