Baptism 

What is Baptism?

As a Baptist Church we follow one of the key principles of the early church, in that the believers believed, repented and were baptised. What this means is that following their acceptance of Jesus as their Lord, and their turning to new ways of living, the early Christians celebrated and proclaimed their new faith by means of baptism - they acknowledged publicly their faith and symbolised the washing away of sin by immersion in water

At Selsdon Baptist we have a baptistry set into the stage, and tend to have a baptism services two or three times a year. The baptismal candidates usually give a short testimony, explaining how they came to the decision to be baptised.

Who can be Baptised?

There are no set age limits on baptism, although those being baptised are expected to be old enough to have an understanding of the action they are taking. In practice, the youngest is usually early teens, and there is no upper age limit.

The key requirement is to be ready to publicly declare your faith in Jesus as Lord and to publicly commit yourself to Him. People come to baptism by many routes - some are baptised in early teens shortly after making their own private commitment to the Lord. Others, such as the writer, started the life of faith in different denominations, and come to baptism after many years. In all cases, it is an act of obedience to the Lord.

Thinking about Baptism?

If you are interested in being baptised, speak to our ministry team. They run an occasional series of sessions with a small group of people thinking through the meaning and reasons for baptism.