Lutherans, Methodists and Presbyterians all believe in
infant baptism. Baptists believe that a person must be mature enough to
profess faith in Christ before baptism. Infant baptism (including the
Roman Catholic tradition) is a sign that Christian parents believe their
children are incorporated in the family of faith.
At the sacrament of baptism, parents vow that they will
raise their child in the Christian tradition and the congregation is asked to
affirm their support.
We believe that children are included in God’s covenant of
grace for Christian believers. In the Old Testament, the covenant was
signified by circumcision. In the New Testament, baptism became the new
sign of God’s covenant. We are adopted into the family of God. Infant baptism is a sign of incorporation into the body of Christ.
At the “Age of Accountability” (somewhere in the early
teens) baptized children are given the opportunity to claim the Christian faith
for themselves. This process is called Confirmation. The child is asked
to confirm the vows taken for them on behalf of their parents.
Is infant baptism a guarantee of salvation? No, but it
is a wonderful reminder of God’s grace in Jesus Christ! Like a child, we
are all weak and unable to save ourselves.
Blessings,
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