Does Your Church have Age Requirement for baptism?

Wisdom from Charles Spurgeon:

"What would you think if I introduced six children to you whom I saw, one after another, last week, and who all came forward with eagerness to say, “We have been washed in the blood of Jesus and we want to join His Church”? I said, “Come along, my children; I am glad to see you.” When I talked with them and heard what God had done for them, I had great confidence in proposing them to the Church! I have not found young converts turn back. I usually find that these young ones who are introduced early to the Church hold on and become our best members!"

 

Hello IntheLight,

I cannot speak for all and do not attempt to do so. Some of the concern is not in believing that someone is saved. It is more a concern that God has done a real work and the person is not just being manipulated emotionally, and making a false profession in the flesh....that will do them or anyone else no good.
Have you ever noticed that some parents tell their child their is a santa claus, or an easter bunny, and the child -believes- that. That does not save either...but the child believes it. Salvation is God given and spiritual...it is not just a repeating of something your parents say.

 

==To be honest, I don't believe that is a legitimate use of Scripture in the church. I know several very young children who do more evangelism than most pew warming adults. They will bring their friends to AWANA Bible study or church. So I don't know that it is true that children don't understand what baptism (etc) means. If they are properly taught it does not seem to be an issue.

All of that said, if a church wishes to pursue the policy you mentioned it is not that big of a deal in my mind. Keep in mind that we do not have to admit to membership everyone who is baptized. My church does extend membership to youth (even 7, 8 yrs old). However they don't vote in business meetings. I'm not sure if there is a rule about that on the books or if it is just the fact that most kids don't care about business meetings. It is just not a problem.

 

This is faulty logic.

There is no mention of a time delay in the Bible, so there is no expansion or latitude for imposing an age requirement. There are plenty of examples of people being baptized immediately after believing. In Acts 16 the Philipian jailers entire family believed and was baptized.

32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.

I'm afraid your church is making up extra-Biblical requirements that could be a burden on people.

 

Isn't that the essence of Calvinism though, that those lucky enough to be born to Christian parents are much more likely to be elected?

[calm down..it's a joke!]

 

==Joking aside. That tends to be true of people both in and outside of Calvinism. We tend to view our families as unique. I guess it is just natural but it is also one reason why inner-family evangelism tends to be weak.

 

Here's another!

Joining the aforementioned Hardshellers, Reformed Baptists, etc., in this aberration were the registered Baptists of the USSR. Bowing to Soviet pressure, in 1960 they forsook baptizing believers under age 30.

 

In the association I am in(Indian Bottom Assoc. of Old Regular Baptists), we are to take any pre-teen who wants to be baptized, and put them under "watchcare" for six months.

 

It's not up to mortals to decide who is saved and who is not saved.

 

Yes, make sure of our own salvation. Nothing about judging others.

 

Sorry, but you ARE judging.

 

God did not put an age requirement on baptism, so neither do we. Our children's pastor meets with the child & parents to confirm the child's understanding of salvation. The final decision is left to the parents.