Do Baptists Pay Enough Attention to Baptism?

This question deserves some attention after a phone conversation I had with a fellow who was "put out" with the Baptist methodology, at least from his experience at a large SBC church in Nashville, TN. According to my partner in conversation, he was perplexed by the seemingly lack of real interest in the meaning, the Scriptural meaning, behind the act of Baptism. He described in detail how he watched the church use baptism only as a way to "count another head" in the ongoing attempt to baptize more people this year than last. For him, the local SBC church had completely lost the meaning of baptism by replacing the Scriptural importance of the act with a superficial means of counting church membership.

Is he correct?

I believe he, in part, is correct. It is quite a claim to pronounce Baptists as not being concerned about the meaning of Baptism. The very name alone of "Baptist" implies that the process is one of importance and one of identity to those who claim to be Baptist. History can certainly testify that a deep rooted concern and understanding of the Scriptural command to be baptized has followed the SBC from its beginnings. The very method of the baptism, that of "dunking", and the theological implications of being baptized have been fervently defended and upheld throughout the years. For Baptists, the water is not an agent of salvation, that is to say, being placed under water is not what brings salvation to the lost. Faith alone in Christ reconciles the sinner to the Father. Nevertheless, we are commanded to be baptized, and to baptize others.

Where I believe the gentlemen to whom I was speaking is correct is in our shallow comprehension of what was once a critical issue to those before us. In the churches where I have served, there has been very little education not only on what it means to be a Baptist, but also on what the baptism process is all about. This all goes back to my previous post on Church Doctrine. Even in an act in which the very name "Baptist" is derived, our church members are ignorant of the real meaning behind it. And it is not their fault.

A healthy balance is the key. I applaud the SBC for their determination to preach Christ crucified and faith alone that saves. In a sense, we are correct to not place too heavy an emphasis on the baptism process in our evangelism to avoid the misunderstanding that salvation is found in its waters. But the flip side is an under appreciation for how important the baptizing of converts was to the early church and is for us today. The education and spiritual maturing of new believers is essential for a growing, thriving, God-centered church.

The Baptist Faith and Message, the statement of faith for the SBC, says this about baptism: "Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper."