Re-Baptism

[MB]

A friend of mine had been baptized in a "Bible" church. After arriving in Germany, he started to attend a
Landmark Baptist church. They informed him that in order to join- he had to be re-baptized - he refused as
he believed that his baptism was valid.
So he packed - and went to the Southern Baptist church on the other side of town - and of course with his wife and six kids!

I don't blame him I would have gone else where as well, A second baptism makes a mockery of Baptism in my opinion.
MB

 

[David Kent]

David, those would be in the minority. I speak as someone who has been a part of the IFB movement for over forty years and have a BA with a minor in Pastoral Theology from an "IFB" college. For the vast majority of Baptist churches (IFB or not), membership is acquired in three ways: baptism, letter of transfer, and statement of faith/baptism. The first happens soon after salvation, the second upon moving to a new location, and the last in situations where a letter is impossible to acquire in a timely manner. My home church has folks from all over the world settling in San Francisco. So, acquiring a letter from a church in the Philippines gets problematical.
The only time I know of a church not accepting a believer's immersion\baptism is the case of a classmate who came from a Primitive Methodist church and wanted to join an IFB church. The rub being the Primitive Methodists also accepted pouring and anointing as valid modes of baptism.

The forum was onlinebaptist, although I think those who promoted it have left the forum, as they thought there were too many heretics like me.

Most there believe that there is only a local church and not a universal church.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

Holding to a "local church only" interpretation of ekklesia is not uncommon. Mind you, most of these folks have no problems with cooperating with other like-minded congregations for ministry purposes.

Most there believe that there is only a local church and not a universal church.