Position
The sacrament of baptism reminds and assures us that “as surely as water washes away dirt from the body, so certainly [Christ’s] blood and his Spirit wash away . . . all [our] sins” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q. and A. 69). And because “infants as well as adults are in God’s covenant and are his people,” they, “no less than adults, are promised the forgiveness of sin” and thus “by baptism . . . should be received into the Christian church. . . . This was done in the Old Testament by circumcision, which was replaced in the New Testament by baptism” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q. and A. 74).
In the Christian Reformed Church, baptism is performed by an ordained minister of the Word or ministry associate. The usual method of baptism is by the sprinkling of water on the forehead of the person to be baptized, but other methods (such as immersion) may also be used. The CRC employs infant baptism (for children of believing parents) as well as adult baptism (for adults who join but have not previously been baptized in a Christian church); an adult who is baptized is also called upon to make a public profession of his or her faith in Christ.
History
The latest guidelines and forms for baptism in the CRC were approved by Synod 1994. In response to an overture, Synod 2000 appointed a committee to study baptism regarding questions that arise about infant baptism as a result of the CRC’s efforts to become more multiethnic and evangelical. Because excellent studies on this subject already exist, synod proposed first that such resources be made more accessible and well-known as an aid to discussions about baptism.
References
- Agenda for Synod 1994, pp. 166-77
- Acts of Synod 1994, pp. 493-94
- Agenda for Synod 2000, pp. 502-6
- Acts of Synod 2000, pp. 709-10
