How Were You Baptized?

I was baptized as an infant. In the Methodist religion, once baptized, always baptized...can't do it again and pastors can be ?decommissioned? I think the word is for even doing a 2nd baptism. I would love to have the full submersion, but that's just not possible. As long as there's holy water and a lay person at work--it's really all in what you believe.

I was baptized as an infant but many members of my family have had full immersion baptisms as adults, which is powerful and moving.

I think baptism is an individual walk and an individual statement of O.'s personal faith, therefore, I would not want to do a "tandem" baptism with my husband (at the same time)--but if it was at the same service--yes.

You were baptized. Some churches do full emersion, some don't.

You only need full emersion if YOU think you do. Personally, I don't think God has a preference. : )

p.s. I had a full emersion baptism at age 12. My sons had the head sprinkle at infancy. I prefer infant baptism - but I do understand why others prefer the other. For me, to me, there was too much peer pressure involved at age 12. It wasn't about God at all for me. I am definitely in "my church home" now and I like that it's a naming ceremony, a blessing, and a commitment from the church community to the child. So....since this is YOUR baptsim, choose what makes YOU feel closer to God.

Yes, but each denomination has their own rules. By your friend's rules, mine didn't count, either. I wasn't submerged and I was an infant. My daughter was also baptized as an infant and not dunked. Some churches don't allow infant baptism at all.

I think if you want to be submerged, then do it for YOU. Do it because your heart says you want to for your personal relationship with God. Don't do it because someone had an offhand remark. Your baptism meant something to you, and that's important to remember.

If you want to know more about what your church's stance on it is, talk to the pastor. I'm sure he or she will be happy to discuss your circumstances with you. I had a good talk with our pastor before my daughter was baptized and one of his questions was "Why? Is it just because of tradition or because of what you believe?" If it was just for tradition, I was doing it for the wrong reason. When I had her baptized, I was also making a promise to raise her in the church, for example. It wasn't one and done.

I was "sprinkled" as an infant in a Presbyterian Church. Both my children were also "sprinkled" as infants in a Methodist Church. Different denomonations have different thoughts on the topic. What really matters is what you believe. I belive God doesn't care how we are baptized, rather that we believe in him and love others as he loves us.... Celebrate and cherish your baptism!

People will tell you their experience based on what Christian denomination they follow; for some churches, you have to do be fully submerged, while others (I was raised Catholic), its only the head. They are ALL valid, again, depending in what denomination you believe and belong to.
Since you don't seem to belong to any particular one, choose carefully where you fill more confortable and where you think you can identify with their beliefs; don't allow others to influence something that personal.

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We had the head sprinkle, so did our daughter. We're Catholic. Dont let anyone take it away from you if it was meaningful to you.

Seems to me, like another poster suggested, that you don't really know which demonination you are or understand its theology. Seems also like a lot of posters are saying that Bapitsm is all symbolic. Maybe in certain denominations, but to Catholics, it is a Sacrament. A sacrament is a way in which we recieve God's grace. So it is more than symbolic. I don't want to get into deep theological arguments here but I guess it is just another difference between Catholics and the rest of the Christians. Another such example is "being saved" by faith alone as opposed to faith and good works. Martin Luther said you can be saved by faith alone but Saint Paul said faith without works is meaningless.

Anyway, I would recommend you taking some time to pray and understand what you believe. If you believe it's merely symbolic, then either way (dunking or sprinkling) would be sufficient, I think..... but don't get too hung up on the "how".... and take some time to examine the "why."

My 2 cents,

LisaD

So happy to know you are OK!!!

In the Episcopal church the babies (and I am guessing adults) are anointed with oil on their forehead and chest and water was sprinkled on their heads. I was invited to one where they didn't do any of that. I really feel it is all about what religion you are being baptized and your personal beliefs. Shame on the person who told you that you were not really baptized. That's like telling someone they really were not married because they had an outdoor wedding! Speak with people in your congregation or even your priest/minister/reverend. They will help guide you.

The sprinkle versus immersion is usually a difference between Catholic, Episcopal, Orthodox, and some Protestant faiths versus Baptist (respectively). The reasoning is baptizing innocents to protect from purgatory and bring them into the faith versus choosing to be Baptized with an understanding of faith in God. Anyway...

I grew up in non denominational Christian churches and Southern Baptist churches. I came to know Christ as my savior personally at the age of 12 at Young Life Camp and chose to be Baptized by immersion when an evangelist visited our home church.

I chose not to have my son Baptized at birth because I wanted to teach him what it means and allow him to choose and have his own recognition and moment of coming to personal faith.

Sorry for your recent troubles, hope things continue to look up as you journey with God!

With your question being about baptizem then I will try to stay away from the touchy stuff for me. I will state fast we believe baptizem only happens after one finds salvation. Now moveing right along. I am a bible student and baptizem needs water. There is no true limt on how much is needed. It is true that John the Baptised did so by fulling putting the person in the water. But it is noted that in times of water shortage or unsafe water (outside baptizem) that other forms have been used. There are times where people are unable to get into the water that they are cover head to toe by a bucket of water being poured over their head, along the lines of having oil pour down over ones head in the bible. It is noted as I see others have said that it is best going by the word to be submerged but if this can not be done, it can not be done.

Baptism is symbolic and if you did it as a sign of your devotion to Christ and your public declaration that you were going to walk with him, you are good to go! Now there is nothing wrong with being submerged even though you were already sprinkled. I was submerged at age 12, but then I took some really winding roads and got far away from God. At age 19, I decided once and for all it was gonna be Him and me :D So I got baptized again. I don't think I wasn't saved when I was all wild and stuff, but I wanted to mark my decision to return to life with Him, it was awesome. Plus I was really young when I was first baptized, so I felt I was old enough to truly know that this was my decision, not something my church just said I should do. The water is a symbol of Christ cleansing you and that you are His. The quantity does not matter. What about someone living in a place where there wasn't abundant water? They could most certainly be baptized. As for being baptized again, do it! It's great :) It's like renewing your vows in marriage, doesn't mean you weren't married all along, just means you are wanting to declare your love again and look ahead to the future together. It's no problem at all. I consider the baptism I had at age 19 the "real" one if you will. It's been 15 years and I have never looked back. The only type of baptism that is not actually baptism is infant baptism. Simply because and infant doesn't have the cognitive ability to decide to follow Christ. It would kind of be like an infant getting married, it just isn't possible. You will never find an infant in the Bible being baptized. But you do find infants/babies being presented to the Lord and dedicated to him, which basically means the parents acknowledge that they will raise their child to know God. We have done this with both of our boys and it was so amazing both times :) I hope that answers your question, if you ever want to talk more feel free to PM me. Take care!!

I was baptized by immersion in the Baptist church when I was a child, but joined the Methodist church a few years ago with my husband. My baptism in the Baptist church was recognized by the Methodist church and I was not baptized again.

It was explained to me that the act of accepting Christ in church (during the invitational) was when I was saved. The baptism was the public "announcement" and we are baptized because Christ was baptized by John the Baptist. If I had chosen not to be baptized I would be no less saved. So you are not any less saved because you were just "sprinkled". Also, different denominations perform baptisms differently - sprinkled or submerged the sentiment is the same.

The church I attended then, and the one now, do full submersion - so I wore a robe and got bent over backwards and "dunked". Then put my street clothes back on and returned to the pew with soaking wet hair for the rest of the service - nobody told me to bring a blow dryer, La!

If you have accepted Christ as your savior - then you are saved. But, having another Baptism ceremony to re-affirm your faith, especially with your husband, is a beautiful idea.

God Bless

I've been baptized several times actually. For me it was a public profession of my faith and dedication to God and the church I was a member of. I've changed churches a few times due to moves.

My first I was a baby and in Germany. Apparently it was a traditionally Greek Catholic thing due to the fact that the Non-Denominational group was using the local Greek church in Germany to meet. My father was in the military and their church didn't have a building yet. They were allowed to use the baptismal...urn? so long as the water was prepared according to the Catholic faith. So I was oiled and sprinkled.
My second, I was about 10 year old and it was shortly after I had made the personal choice to be and follow the Christian faith. It was in the gym of the non-denominational church complex in Florida. I was dunked backwards and my feet slipped out from under me.
My third, I was 15 and we had joined a new church. It was a Southern Baptist church in Florida, I wore a robe and was dunked back again. I stayed standing.
My fourth, Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, I was 18. I was bucketed and sprinkled (to cover all the bases). The leader who did it had no formal training, he was not ordained but he was most definitely called. This time I knelt of my own will, he poured a bucket over my head then flicked the water from his hands onto my head. To cover the bases he joked. I must admit the other times felt like they were just motions only with my family did I feel..changed. The time in the sea, my choosing to get in the water to submit to the waves of my own choice felt the best and meant the most to me.

I hope this helps, it doesn't matter how it's done, it's about how you feel about it.

A.,

God loves you so much! He just wants you to love Him. That is what baptism is about--telling people that you have decided to LOVE God. It is the change of heart that is evident in your choices and convictions and actions after you have made this life changing decision. (I'm not saying you're going to be perfect and do what God wants all the time, because after all, we are human.) If you truly meant that you love God and trust him with your life, it doesn't matter if water is anywhere nearby.

If someone was about to die in a desert and wanted to become a Christian, do you think God would say, "Oh, sorry, but you didn't get water on you, so off to Hell you go." He loves us. He wants us in any shape we are in. It is your heart he is after, soaking, damp, or dry.

I will pray that God will show you undeniably and clearly that he absolutely LOVES you.

Blessings to you and your family.

In the UK, where I am from the sprinkling of the water is called being christened, and when you are immersed in water you are baptised.
christening is something they do to dedicate babies to God, Baptism is when you choose to be reborn and cleansed.
That is the way I have always seen it anyway!

Hi
I was baptised @ 23 years ago this month according to The Bible in Acts 2:38 " Peter said repent and be baptised for the remission of sin and ye shall receive the gift of The Holy Ghost". Baptism means to submerge.
We baptize at our church by submersion. If you would like to be baptised you can contact me and I can get you in touch with a minister at our church so that you can be baptised. You don't have to be a member. You don't have to wait for a certain day. My email is ____@____.com Bless

It really depends on what is the tradition in your church. Different denominations have different beliefs and practices. You can check with various churches if a full submersion baptism is important to you.

I was raised catholic so I got sprinkled on the head as a baby. my son the same thing. My friends son and daughter got dunked at a christian church. I know a group of christians that get dunked in pools at the Y.

It depends on what denomination you are. The type of
Baptism you had is common among Christians such as Catholics and Episcopalians. Other groups have different traditions. If for instance you are Catholic, then you were Baptised in the Catholic church according to Catholic traditions.

I was submerged in water at a baptist church at 19, my husband protestant church as a kid was sprinkled and our kids sprinkled at methodist church.
The pastor I had at the baptist church slowly dunked me, too slow, and was talking forever I had to tap him on the wrist to bring me up; he was notorious for holding people under too long.

Our teen wants a redo and wants to be dunked as she calls it. My granny says you can baptize yourself or your kids in a large body of water, it's all about believing and accepting Christ as your savior... its the rebirth.

It is amazing to me to hear of what others say about what God is saying what God requires. Read the Bible and allow God to speak. It is good that you have an idea but it is God's word that is required. Thank you for all them nice words but to me God is right and he never said sprinkle. Read the book... How Were You Baptized? and read the Bible. It is my pray that I meet you in heaven.

The UCC church holds the baby lying on it's back and pours water over the crown of the head. That's how I was baptized. I believe most Cathoic churches to it the same, and that's how my husband's church did our sons, then they were dedicated at my UCC church (once baptized, always baptized, most churches won't do it again) so that they are members of both communities.
I agree with the friend who told you it's whatever you believe. Anyone who tells you they know the RIGHT way to do something religious is a false profit. Only God can tell you what it right.

A.
I was sprinkled also. I know it is only symbolic, but I wanted the whole experience, but not in the "bathtub" our church uses. So, I had my husband baptize me on one of our trips to the lake.