Get Baptized

If you are interested in getting baptized, please contact the church office at office@fbcmp.net. Either the pastor or one of the deacons will walk you through the process.

What does the Bible teach about baptism?

1. Baptism is a Christian’s immersion in water, but it does not secure anyone eternal life with God. While baptism is a powerful symbol of our new life in Christ, it is not the means of salvation. Salvation is a gift of God’s grace, received through faith alone (Eph. 2:8–9; Titus 3:5).

2. Baptism is a symbolic act that points to the moment of our conversion—when we turned from sin and trusted in Jesus Christ. It represents our initiation into the Christian faith and acts as an outward testimony of the inward transformation that occurs through repentance and trust. For those baptized before they are truly converted to Christ, the act holds no spiritual significance, as baptism is intended to follow conversion as a public declaration of our faith. The outward act of baptism must always reflect the inward reality of a heart transformed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, 44; 8:38–39).

3. Baptism points to our immersion into (or participation with) Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. Through faith, we are united with Christ in his death (thereby dying to our old way of life), and we are raised up with him. We then live in light of the reality that we have been raised up with Christ: we walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4; cf. Eph. 2:4–6; Col. 2:12–13).

4. Baptism also points to our union with the triune God of the Bible—as we are immersed into a relationship with him. We are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, which signifies our entry into a covenant relationship with the triune God of the Bible. We exist in a living, dynamic relationship with each member of the Trinity—with the one true God (Matt. 28:19).

5. Baptism also represents our incorporation into the body of Christ. Through baptism, we are publicly identified as members of Christ’s body, the church. This act of obedience unites us with fellow believers, for we share in one Spirit and are part of God’s global family (1 Cor. 12:13).

6. Baptism is a central truth that binds us together: “4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:4–6). These verses emphasize the unity of believers through shared elements of faith—one body (of Christ), one Spirit, one hope, one Lord (Jesus), one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father—who is the exalted ruler and sustainer of all things.