Baptism is a visual and symbolic demonstration of a person’s union with Christ in the likeness of His death and resurrection. It signifies that a person’s former way of life (unbelief) has been put to death and depicts a release from the mastery of sin. (Colossians 2:12, Romans 6:3-4)

Baptism is for the individual who has received the saving benefits of Christ’s atoning work and become His disciple. Therefore, in obedience to Christ’s command and as a testimony to God, the church, oneself, and the world, a believer should be immersed in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:41)

Baptism is obedience to God’s command in Scripture (Matthew 28:18-20).  It is mentioned 70 times in the New Testament.  Jesus himself was baptized as an example for us (Matthew 3:16-17), and baptism gives evidence that a person is a disciple of Christ (Acts 2:38-41).

Believer’s baptism by immersion was the early church method described in the Bible. Descriptions such as “plenty of water” (John 3:23), “came up out of the water” (Mark 1:5,10), “went down… came up out of” (Acts 8:38-39), make clear that immersion was the practice. No mode of baptism more clearly articulates the centrality of the Christian message (of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus) than immersion.

Contrary to some traditions, there seems to be no biblical reason to limit the person baptizing to a pastor who has been ordained to vocational ministry. Therefore, (at the discretion of our lead pastor, staff pastors and elders) we allow any believer who has been baptized, male or female, to perform the ordinance of baptism during our Sunday morning gatherings.