Holy Baptism is a covenant between an individual and God.  It is God’s word to us, proclaiming our adoption by grace and our word to God, promising our response of faith and love. It is also a covenant between an individual and a community. Baptism is the entrance into the community of faith, and during this time of commitment the church promises to welcome and foster the spiritual growth of those being baptized.

Baptism is a sacrament, a holy mystery, in which an inward act of redemption and transformation is demonstrated by the physical action of being washed in the water. It is a mystery because the Apostle Paul tells us that in our baptism we experience unity with Christ. Romans 6 says, "Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

All believers are invited to participate in this sacrament and experience the blessing that comes from celebrating our unity with Christ and salvation from sin.  Persons of all ages can be baptized. We baptize infants as well as adults. For infants the act of baptism is the beginning of a journey, a promise by the parents to raise their child to know and love God and a promise by God back to that child to bless and reveal God's self to that child. The process that begins with baptism of children is completed when they, as children, teenagers, or adults, confirm this work of God in their lives and claim their faith for their own.

The baptism of infants or adults should accompany a commitment of membership in the church as well. The Church of the Nazarene recognizes baptisms from other faiths and churches and therefore does not “re-baptize”. If you are interested in being baptized or asking more questions about baptism, please contact our office and we will be happy to assist you in any way we can