This Congregation's Policy on Baptism.

Recognition of both infant and believer baptism. While the Greenfield Congregational Covenant Church comes out of a tradition in which infant baptism has been the primary understanding and practice, this congregation will respect the biblical positions of both infant and believer baptism and will administer both. The congregation recognizes that devoted Christians have held each of these views and there is room in the Body of Christ for both. The decision as to whether to administer baptism as an infant or as a believer will be left to the prayer discernment of the baptismal candidate or, in the case of infant baptism, with the parents. The pastor should be consulted in all such baptismal matters.

What is the Meaning of Baptism?

Baptism is a sign of identification with Jesus Christ through a personal faith in Him and Him alone. The Bible's teachings on baptism begins with the story of the baptism of Jesus Christ Himself which is told in Matthew:3, Mark:1, and Luke:3. Before Jesus was baptized, His cousin, John, began baptizing people as a sign of repentance and preparation for the coming messiah. But when Jesus was baptized a new meaning was added: not repentance, for Jesus was without sin, and had no need to repent. Rather, His baptism served as a sign of public identification of His ministry of salvation for the human race. Therefore, this congregation understands that the primary meaning of baptism for Christians is identification with Jesus Christ, with His kingdom and His covenant. This fits in with the commandment that Jesus gave His disciples after His resurrection: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:18-20) As a sign of identification with Jesus baptism replaces, and serves the same purpose as, the rite of circumcision, which had identified the Israelites as God's people from the time of Abraham to the time of Christ. Like circumcision, baptism is a sign of identification with God, but it is not the means by which a person becomes identified with God. The means is faith. The Bible says in Galatians 3:26-27, "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." So then, identification with Jesus Christ is obtained by faith and faith alone. In the case of infant baptism, the Bible teaches that the identification which parents have by faith, is automatically shared with their children at the time of their birth. That is illustrated by the case of Abraham and his son Issac. As soon as Issac was born, he identified with God's redemptive plan in the covenant, and was marked with the sign of circumcision as a witness to that identification (Genesis 21:1-4). Similarly in the New Testament, when parents accepted Christ, their whole household was baptized as a sign of their shared identification with Christ, and their inclusion in the covenant (Acts 16:15,31; 1 Corinthians 1:16). The words of Jesus made the same point "Let the children come to Me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these the kingdom of God belongs" (Matthew 19-14).