Credo-Baptism Answers What is standard Reformed Baptist practice?

DanSSwing

DanSSwing

Puritan Board Sophomore
What is standard Reformed Baptist practice regarding both the timeline of baptism for either new believers or new members who were baptized as infants? Also what is standard practice regarding who is allowed to participate in the Lord's Supper? Are those wishing baptism usually baptized within weeks, months, years? Are they allowed or denied the Lord's table until that point? What if they were baptized as infants in a true church? Thanks.
 
So currently I attend my parents' Church (I'm 16 and plan on going to a different one when becoming an adult; I wouldn't call it "my Church"). But it is Reformed Baptist, and here's how they structure it:

Every few months the Elders announce that there will be a "Disciple's Baptism." Here, they expect a person who wants to be baptized to come to them. Then, an elder will meet with them, and confirm that they are a Christian. And within so many weeks (my baptism took more than a month to process) they then baptize the Christian.

Now, they do allow people who are not baptized to participate in the Lord's Supper (which happens once a month). Some families in the Church did not allow their children, who were not baptized, to participate in the Communion until baptism, but I was allowed.

And then, after baptism, they then take the Covenant Membership oath for the Church, which usually happens a few weeks after the baptism. However, I have not done this process and do not plan to.

Now, I'm not sure if this is the "standard" for most Reformed Baptists, but this is how my parent's Church does it.
 
Hey brother! Glad to have one so young on the board. I just want to gently address something I'm hearing in your comment, and I apologize if I am reading too much between the lines.
MilitaryBrat2007 said:
So currently I attend my parents' Church (I'm 16 and plan on going to a different one when becoming an adult; I wouldn't call it "my Church").
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While you are under the authority of your parents, their church is your church. The same covenant theology which makes you a presbyterian makes this so. You are a member of this church by birth, even if they (as Baptists) did not believe you to be.
MilitaryBrat2007 said:
And then, after baptism, they then take the Covenant Membership oath for the Church, which usually happens a few weeks after the baptism. However, I have not done this process and do not plan to.
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May I suggest that you reflect on Article 28 of your confession? We believe that since this holy assembly and congregation is the gathering of those who are saved and there is no salvation apart from it, people ought not to withdraw from it, content to be by themselves, regardless of their status or condition. But all people are obliged to join and unite with it...

I don't know the terms of your church's membership covenant, but as you profess true faith, weekly attend the preaching of the Word and make use of the sacraments, I would gently caution you against needlessly withdrawing from the life of the church where God has placed you.
 
There does not seem to be a standard practice. Every church I know of does it differently, with the common practice being that candidates must meet with the elders to be examined before being baptized. Since in our congregation, being baptized and joining the church happen on the same day (no one is baptized who does not seek membership), the congregation is given several weeks beforehand to speak to the candidate if they wish, and so affirm their profession in good faith. Members transferring from elsewhere, or already baptized and joining must also pass the congregational scrutiny once the elders recommend them for membership.
Thus far, no one baptized in infancy has tried to join, but the constituion requires believer's baptism, whose validity is determined by the elders on an individual basis.
 
I go to Grace Community Church (pastored by John MacArthur), and even though Grace isn't "Reformed Baptist" I can share what we do here.
DanSSwing said:
What is standard Reformed Baptist practice regarding both the timeline of baptism for either new believers or new members who were baptized as infants? New believers: you fill out a membership packet that outlines your testimony and you need to speak to a pastor/elder you are under/close to. Once they sign off on it, you write your testimony out as a speech and present it to the membership office that will check it for gospel clarity and appropriateness (e.g. being unnecessarily specific regarding sin). Then the new believer is put in a queue to be baptized on a Sunday evening service where they will read out their testimony they had previously submitted to the church and then be baptized then and there. Some time after that, there will be a "Right Hand of Fellowship" presentation on a Sunday evening when all the new members are presented to the church and current members are welcomed, after the service, to come up and welcome them into the local congregation. New members who were baptized as infants: if the new believer is convinced their infant baptism was legitimate, they will not force you to get rebaptized (we are not Anabaptists! haha). Therefore, they can skip the whole "baptism and reading their testimony to everyone" part. But if you think your baptism in a true church was not legitimate, then you can choose to be rebaptized (are we Anabaptists now? xD ) Also what is standard practice regarding who is allowed to participate in the Lord's Supper? That is left to everyone's conscience. The pastor will tell the congregation who can take it (believers) and how to take it properly but there is no physical "fencing of the Table". Are those wishing baptism usually baptized within weeks, months, years? Usually within a few months Are they allowed or denied the Lord's table until that point? See above (left up to the individual's conscience). Guests who are professing believers take it and the church seems to not have an issue with that either. What if they were baptized as infants in a true church? See above again :D Thanks.
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