Baptism
Matthew 28:18–20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Preparing for Baptism
If you believe in the gospel but have not yet obeyed the Lord in baptism, we invite you to prepare for baptism, starting with our Discover OBC Church Membership Class.
- Discover OBC. You will learn about the gospel, the church, the nature of church membership as marked out by baptism, and God's design for fellowship and service in the local church.
- Membership Application. Once you have completed the Discover OBC class, apply for church membership and we will schedule a membership interview.
- Membership Interview. You will meet with one of the elders and a church member to talk about your faith in Christ. This is an opportunity for us to learn about your faith in Christ, to get to know you more personally, and to learn how the church might care for you as you look to come into church membership.
- Recommendation for Membership. If we can affirm your repentance and faith in Christ and there are no other factors to consider, we will recommend you for membership and schedule your baptism.
- Preparation for Baptism. You will write out a testimony confessing your faith in Christ that you will read before the congregation before you get baptized.
- Baptism. We will welcome you into membership upon baptism.
What is Baptism?
Baptism is both a confession of faith and an affirmation of faith.
In baptism, the repentant believer bears witness to faith in Christ, just as the church bears witness to the visible faith of the baptized. Through baptism the candidate confesses faith in Christ, and through baptism the church recognizes and affirms that candidate’s faith in Christ, receiving them into fellowship as a brother or sister in Christ. Water baptism by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the divinely appointed means for those who have been saved through repentance and faith in the gospel to publicly confess their faith in Christ and be welcomed into the membership of the local church. Baptism is an act of obedience for new believers to identify with Jesus, and an act of obedience for the local church to identify followers of Jesus with this divinely prescribed means (Matt 28:18-20). The ordinance of baptism is an initiatory rite that constitutes the local church.
Baptism is immersion.
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water symbolizing the believer’s death to sin, union with Christ, burial of the old life, and resurrection to walk in new life (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 10:47-48; 16:32-33; 18:7-8; Rom 6:1-4). The lexical meaning of baptizo is immersion, and the mode of baptism as consistently practiced throughout Scripture is immersion (Acts 8:38; Matt 3:16; John 3:22).
Baptism is a dramatization of the gospel.
Baptism is visual dramatization of the gospel which symbolizes union with Christ in his death and resurrection. Death and burial is depicted in being submerged beneath the water, and the resurrection is depicted as the believer is raised up out of the water (Rom 6:1-4).
Baptism is a display of God’s salvation.
As God’s people have passed through waters of judgment throughout the Old Testament, baptism displays salvation from God’s judgment through Christ’s death and resurrection (1 Cor 10:1-2; 1 Pet 3:20).
Baptism is a symbol of cleansing and regeneration.
The waters of baptism symbolizes the washing away and cleansing of sin, pointing to the regenerating work of the Spirit (Acts 22:16; Titus 3:5; Heb 6:2).
Baptism is a naming ceremony.
Baptism is a naming ceremony in which the individual takes on the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19). Similar to marriage or adoption, this naming ceremony marks a new identity for the one who is entering a new family. As such, baptism serves to publicly identify believers with Christ in the local church.
Baptism is only for believers.
The New Testament pattern for Christian baptism is that baptism is preceded by faith in the gospel, and results in one’s addition to membership (Acts 2:41, 47; 4:4; 8:12, 36; 10:47; 18:8).
Baptism is an external and visible expression of an inward spiritual reality, namely that of repentance and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism does not add to nor aid an individual in meriting salvation, but it should be seen as an obedient expression of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit and as representing the believer’s new life in Christ (Rom 6:4; Gal 3:27).
It is the responsibility of the church to assess whether or not there is evidence of repentance and faith in the gospel, and to give or withhold baptism accordingly. While the church is not infallible and only the Lord knows those who are regenerate, the church must uphold the doctrine of regenerate membership (2 Tim 2:19). This guards against giving an unbeliever false assurance, and seeks to uphold the purity of the church.
Baptism is public.
As baptism is a public confession of faith and an act of the church, it is right that baptism occurs in the context of the gathered church and not as a private event. Baptism is not merely an individual’s public confession of faith in Christ, but an action of the church through which the assembly of the saints affirms that candidate’s confession of faith in Christ.
Baptism is a prerequisite for membership.
Believer’s baptism by immersion is prerequisite for church membership as it is the divinely given means for receiving members into the local church. While believer’s baptism is necessary for church membership, we gladly recognize baptism from other churches who share our faith and practice. Participation in baptism (the initiating rite of the New Covenant) and the Lord’s Supper (the ongoing rite of the New Covenant) is determined by the nature of regenerate church membership.
In baptism, the repentant believer bears witness to faith in Christ, just as the church bears witness to the visible faith of the baptized. Through baptism the candidate confesses faith in Christ, and through baptism the church recognizes and affirms that candidate’s faith in Christ, receiving them into fellowship as a brother or sister in Christ. Water baptism by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the divinely appointed means for those who have been saved through repentance and faith in the gospel to publicly confess their faith in Christ and be welcomed into the membership of the local church. Baptism is an act of obedience for new believers to identify with Jesus, and an act of obedience for the local church to identify followers of Jesus with this divinely prescribed means (Matt 28:18-20). The ordinance of baptism is an initiatory rite that constitutes the local church.
Baptism is immersion.
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water symbolizing the believer’s death to sin, union with Christ, burial of the old life, and resurrection to walk in new life (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 10:47-48; 16:32-33; 18:7-8; Rom 6:1-4). The lexical meaning of baptizo is immersion, and the mode of baptism as consistently practiced throughout Scripture is immersion (Acts 8:38; Matt 3:16; John 3:22).
Baptism is a dramatization of the gospel.
Baptism is visual dramatization of the gospel which symbolizes union with Christ in his death and resurrection. Death and burial is depicted in being submerged beneath the water, and the resurrection is depicted as the believer is raised up out of the water (Rom 6:1-4).
Baptism is a display of God’s salvation.
As God’s people have passed through waters of judgment throughout the Old Testament, baptism displays salvation from God’s judgment through Christ’s death and resurrection (1 Cor 10:1-2; 1 Pet 3:20).
Baptism is a symbol of cleansing and regeneration.
The waters of baptism symbolizes the washing away and cleansing of sin, pointing to the regenerating work of the Spirit (Acts 22:16; Titus 3:5; Heb 6:2).
Baptism is a naming ceremony.
Baptism is a naming ceremony in which the individual takes on the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19). Similar to marriage or adoption, this naming ceremony marks a new identity for the one who is entering a new family. As such, baptism serves to publicly identify believers with Christ in the local church.
Baptism is only for believers.
The New Testament pattern for Christian baptism is that baptism is preceded by faith in the gospel, and results in one’s addition to membership (Acts 2:41, 47; 4:4; 8:12, 36; 10:47; 18:8).
Baptism is an external and visible expression of an inward spiritual reality, namely that of repentance and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism does not add to nor aid an individual in meriting salvation, but it should be seen as an obedient expression of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit and as representing the believer’s new life in Christ (Rom 6:4; Gal 3:27).
It is the responsibility of the church to assess whether or not there is evidence of repentance and faith in the gospel, and to give or withhold baptism accordingly. While the church is not infallible and only the Lord knows those who are regenerate, the church must uphold the doctrine of regenerate membership (2 Tim 2:19). This guards against giving an unbeliever false assurance, and seeks to uphold the purity of the church.
Baptism is public.
As baptism is a public confession of faith and an act of the church, it is right that baptism occurs in the context of the gathered church and not as a private event. Baptism is not merely an individual’s public confession of faith in Christ, but an action of the church through which the assembly of the saints affirms that candidate’s confession of faith in Christ.
Baptism is a prerequisite for membership.
Believer’s baptism by immersion is prerequisite for church membership as it is the divinely given means for receiving members into the local church. While believer’s baptism is necessary for church membership, we gladly recognize baptism from other churches who share our faith and practice. Participation in baptism (the initiating rite of the New Covenant) and the Lord’s Supper (the ongoing rite of the New Covenant) is determined by the nature of regenerate church membership.
Preparing Your Testimony for Your Baptism
Download and complete this worksheet. Answering these questions will help you draft your testimony. We will work with you to finalize it before you share it with the congregation.