What do we believe about baptism?

We believe that faith in Jesus results in obedience to Jesus.  Since Jesus has commanded baptism, this sacrament is an important first step in a long journey of learning trust and obedience to the Good Shepherd.  Additionally, the apostle Paul says that this act of obedience is an opportunity for grace to work in our souls by joining us not only to Christ in his death and resurrection, but also to one another by his Spirit (Romans 6:3-4, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13).  “The administration of Holy Baptism is to be done only when faith in Christ is present in those being baptized or, in the case of infants, in their sponsors.  Further, the sacrament of holy baptism is to be administered normally in a congregation’s corporate worship” (Acts 2:38, Eph 4:4-6, 1 Peter 3:21, Titus 3:5).

Article 27 of the Anglican 39 Articles states, “Baptism is not only a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened, but it is also a sign of Regeneration or new Birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church; the promises of forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed; Faith is confirmed, and Grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God. The Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ.”