Do you believe in Christ alone to be your Savior? When Philip preached the gospel to the Samaritans, he only baptized those who believed. Luke said, “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized” (Acts 8:12). Baptism is reserved for those who believe the gospel (Acts 8:36-37; Acts 16:30-33; Acts 18:8). Therefore, the only biblical requirement for baptism is to believe in Jesus as the only Savior of mankind. If you would like to talk to a pastor about baptism, simply call the church at 304-736-7676. We would love to walk you through the process.

The Greek word for baptism means, “to immerse or to submerge.” For instance, John baptized Jesus by immersion. Matthew 3:16 says, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water.” Acts 8:36-38, explains that the Ethiopian eunuch was baptized by immersion; both Philip and the man “went down into the water.” Certainly, this is a reference to immersion. In Romans 6:3-5, Paul explained, “We are buried with Him through baptism into death,” and we are raised out of the water to “walk in newness of life.” The expression, “buried,” conveys the idea of being buried in a cemetery. When you bury someone, you don’t sprinkle dirt on them, instead, you put them underground. Furthermore, while some denominations practice infant baptism or sprinkling, such methods are never mentioned in the Bible.

You can be baptized any time our church is gathered. However, it is best to schedule your baptism with the church office so that we are fully prepared. We encourage you to invite your family and friends to celebrate this special occasion.

We provide a dark “Raised to Life” t-shirt you can wear for the baptism but we ask that you come prepared wearing a dark t-shirt and shorts. Make sure to bring an extra set of clothes to change into afterwards.

Prior to the service, simply come up the stairs to the left of the platform and enter the office door. Someone will meet you and guide you through the entire process. If you are the parent and your child is being baptized, you are welcome to stay with your child the entire time. By doing so, you will be able to take photos/videos of your child’s baptism. If you would like a tour of where it all takes place call or stop by our office Monday - Friday and a staff member will be happy to show you the baptistry area and answer any questions you or your child may have.

The pastor will help you into the water. If you’re an adult, you will be seated on a bench. The pastor performing the baptism will introduce you and welcome those who have come to see you get baptized. The Pastor will instruct you on how to place your arms and, with a clean handkerchief over your face, he will gently guide you back into the water until you are immersed, and raise you back up immediately. After you have been baptized, someone will guide you back to the dressing room where you can dry off with one of the provided towels, change, and rejoin your family and friends in the auditorium.

Following the baptism, you will receive a membership packet in the mail along with a baptism certificate to commemorate the special event. The membership packet will include information about our Starting Point class, which we ask all prospective new members to attend so that you understand what membership at LMBC is all about.