What does The United Methodist Church believe about baptism?
Key Points Concerning Baptism • Baptism is a sign of belonging to the family of God. • We are not saved by baptism. It is a symbol of salvation, not the act. • Methodists practice infant baptism because there is scriptural evidence that entire households, including children, were baptized, as recorded in the book of Acts. (Acts 16:15 ) • A person only needs to be baptized once, even if the baptism occurs as an infant. • A person who was baptized as an infant and wishes to be baptized as a believer may do so by being baptized as a reaffirmation of what his/her parents declared years before. • Baptism is one of the two sacraments of the United Methodist Church. The other is Holy Communion. A sacrament is a special command of the Lord, using outward signs (water or bread and wine) to convey the grace of God. • Asbury offers a focused retreat, called Faith Steps, for all older children (baptized or not baptized) to help prepare them to receive Christ as Savior. This retreat culminates in N