Baptism

What is Baptism?

As a Baptist Church we follow one of the key principles of the early church that the believers believed, repented and were baptised. What this means is that following their acceptance of Jesus as their Lord, and their turning to new ways of living, the early Christians celebrated and proclaimed their new faith by means of baptism — they acknowledged publicly their faith and symbolised the washing away of sin by immersion in water.

At Wood Lane Baptist Church we have a baptistry set into the stage, and hold services as people approach us asking for baptism. At a baptism service the candidate(s) usually give a short testimony, explaining how they came to the decision to be baptised, and the whole service is set in the context of a celebration of faith.

Why do we baptise by full immersion?

"Baptizo" means "to immerse or dip under water" (i.e., the dyeing of a garment or the drawing of water by dipping a vessel into another).

Who can be baptised?

There are no set age limits on baptism, although those being baptised are expected to be old enough to have an understanding of the action they are taking. In practice, the youngest is usually early teens, and there is no upper age limit. The key requirement is to be ready to publicly declare your faith in Jesus as Lord and to publicly commit yourself to Him. People come to baptism by many routes —some are baptised in early teens shortly after making their own private commitment to the Lord. Others may have started their life of faith in different denominations, and come to baptism after many years. In all cases, it is an act of obedience to the Lord.

Thinking about Baptism?

If you are interested in being baptised, speak to our pastor, Anthony Egbunike or to one of the church leaders. You will then be invited to join a short course looking closer at the meaning and reason for baptism.

Children and Babies

As explained earlier, we do not baptise or `christen' babies or small children. Parents, however, often want to commit themselves publicly to the christian upbringing of their children, and give thanks for the gift of their little ones.

Click on the Dedication link to find our more.