I feel I was baptized "unto Jesus" and not into a way. I professed to serve JESUS--EVEN if I had to do it in a way that I thought had been corrupted by men; and in SPITE OF the method in which I thought I had to do it in.
_____ was re-baptized when we became associated with the bible church here. It was a symbol not only of the death and burial and resurrection of Christ, but her death to the 2x2 system and life to true Christianity. It was a moving exciting time for us and for our entire church which we have made aware of 2x2doctrine. I was not re-baptized because when I was baptized in the 2x2's I was fully aware of the purpose for baptism and did it for those reasons. Was kind of like the divinity of Christ. I assumed all Christian churches believed that. I assumed the 2x2's had a proper view of baptism as well. To this day I don't really know where they stand. A miracle that they do it at all since they like to undo everything done by true Christian churches. I guess some things are so openly biblical even they can't avoid it.
My sister was told when she sought baptism, that she was seen wearing men's clothing and that it was okay for her to be baptized if she vowed never to wear pants again, she refused, and needless to say was not baptized.
I was baptized at age 15 because a worker came to me and asked me if I was willing for baptism, and again, I thought it was one more step in being "right with God."
I respect others who feel the need to be baptized again [after leaving the 2x2s]. Many are those who have examined their intentions and motives at the time they were baptized a 2x2, and feel they were essentially saying, "I accept this way as my Lord"...rather than Jesus as their Lord. Some do it to signify beyond all doubt that they have cut ties with the old life. You can't mistake a person is OUT of the 2x2 group--if they've been baptized by another church!
The Christian Church we attended for 2-3 years allows children to be baptized by their fathers, if the family is so inclined! This surprised me...and caused me to check into who, what, when where, etc. Where does it say a minister must do it, etc.!! The Christian church who baptized both my children the same day have this practice. When people respond to the invitation (make their choice)--many immediately leave the room and get ready and are baptized right then and there--ON THE SPOT! Or they can wait until the next Sunday, or have a private baptism if they choose.
I think the waiting time between professing and getting baptized is to allow time "to prove oneself" to the judges/workers. It's also a barrel some workers use to get people to comply with their legalistic requirements...an area in which they have no right to insert themselves. I.e., "If you don't stop doing X, we can't let you be baptized." (it follows, of course, that if you aren't baptized, you won't go to heaven) I've heard some horror tales of compliance request some workers have made to those wanting to be baptized.
After a few years, our son-in-law told us a former elder thought we should be baptized. We were shocked, having never even considered we needed to be. Formerly members in a Pentecostal church and then Baptist churches, re-baptism was never required or even hinted at. This made me angry, frustrated, and sad. We talked with Harold Bennett, worker, and his companion at the time. I cried and Bob yelled, but we were calmly told we should be baptized by a worker. As they were leaving, the younger worker kindly told me he knew how I felt, that his Mother had felt the same, having been baptized before coming to meetings. Bob decided we shouldn't let this be a stumbling block - go ahead and dunk us was his attitude. I started rationalizing: This "way" must be right, look at all the "friends" we have and these self-sacrificing workers must be right! One worker wrote me about building on the rock instead of the sands of former religions. Well, since I had come into this looking for a more perfect church, I took the pious view that now I was building on the Rock, Christ Jesus, and I felt so noble in bowing to re-baptism. I hadn't realized we weren't totally accepted until baptism came up. Afterwards, one lady said something like, "we thought you never would get it." I didn't know what she was talking about, but came back with, "I guess we gave everyone a pretty hard time." (Bob was so vocal with questions that often I was embarrassed. He asked the same questions over and over. I came to realize we never got answers!) Meeting was put in our home.
At convention the workers spoke about baptism on Saturday night. They suggested that ANY who were CONSIDERING baptism should talk to the worker they knew best. I had professed the year before. I thought I might discuss this matter so I talked to a worker. Immediately a couple of the friends were congratulating me on my decision! Decision? I had only ‘talked’ to the worker! I felt violated that they would PRESUME I had decided for sure to be baptized. I HAD NOT! Anyway, I sat in a car at convention with the worker and she convinced me that *I* was ready—presumably good enough. She also indicated that I wouldn’t want to delay much longer in "taking this important step." Well, she convinced me. I was baptized.
A lady who professed around the time we did, was told she had to get rid of her TV before she could be baptized. She did, and was baptized. Later, out of loneliness, she bought a very small TV and hidit behind an 8x10 picture of the Oregon Workers.
When I explained to the workers that I saw no need to be baptized again, they told me that no other baptism was scriptural because it had not been done by workers, the true servants of God.
I was first baptized by the workers and it was obvious to me at that time that the workers in our area would not accept the baptism of other church groups. At that time I was conforming to what the workers were teaching so when I became convinced the fellowship and the workers' ministry was wrong, there was an urgency in my heart to be baptized again by someone whose focus was on Jesus only and not on their own church group. I felt like a new person and wanted everything new. (II Cor 5:17). It was just my personal feeling that if baptism is an outward indication to others of what is in my heart I wanted to make sure the outward indication from me was clear. I found it a real joy to be baptized again with our family after leaving the fellowship.
I was not baptised in the 2x2s. But at the time I was professing I heard baptism explained as "wiping the slate clean", having all of your old life removed and being given a clean garment. Those who were baptised were exhorted to keep their clean garment from getting soiled again. I always wondered about this - what happened if I sinned AFTER I was baptized ? My new garment would then be dirtied also, and I wouldn't be able to get baptised again! How would I get cleansed of the sins committed after I was baptised?
Professing baptisms were always frightening, intimidating and solemn occasions. I actually can say I hated them. I think I preferred funerals to the baptisms. There was something about baptisms that made me sick to my stomach. When we started attending a Christian Church we knew right away that we wanted to be baptized again. What a surprise to find such a joyful, worshipful and meaningful experience! It wasn't the dismal, cold and dreary singing or the sad and mournful occasion of our 2x2 past. It was the same pattern of testimonies and singing and immersion, but with a spirit of happiness, reverence and worship! We highly recommend a second baptism to new Christians from a 2x2 past.
I felt my baptism in the 2x2's was genuine and from my heart even though I knew the 2x2's saw it as a commitment to the Way. However, after I understood what the "true" gospel is and realized what baptism really means I decided to be re-baptized. The fact that my husband and daughter were also being baptized caused me to want to join them in this symbol of the resurrection in my life.
My cousin married a girl who was not a "truther." She eventually professed, and eventually wanted to get baptized. She was told by workers here in California that as long as she had a diamond wedding ring she could not get baptized. I guess they expected her to trade it in for a simple gold band. This must have been about 1987. …My own mother had a diamond engagement ring. She was raised a "non-truther" and professed about a year after meeting my father. She was baptized regardless of the ring. Later, she said "the Spirit" led her to get rid of the diamond ring, and today she has a gold band. I think she still has the original ring, but she does not wear it. It is just interesting to me how a way that is supposed to be thesame everywhere would in one case overlook the ring and in another case make it a central issue as to whether the person could be baptized. **********Isn't that incredible!!?! There are many, MANY women professing and baptized in the 2x2 group who are also wearing diamond rings. My mom, both of my sisters and my sister-in-law, for instance, all had diamond rings. (I had a green sapphire... which I lost about a year after we were married... some thought that was probably God's will!) Diamond rings were a fairly common practice in Montana when I was akid. Later on, with the changing of the guard, it became a less acceptable thing. **********
I have always heard the workers discredit baptism from other churches, since they believed the churches to be false, they believed the baptism to not count. I professed when I was 11 and was baptised when I was 12 but I wasn't saved yet. So after I was saved at 46 I wanted to get baptised again by a Christian pastor. To be baptised before you're saved doesn't seem to mean anything to me anyway. So our family & my sister & her family were all baptised (half of us for the second time) in 1995. This time it really meant something & it seemed so beautiful. By the way, the pastor didn't think it necessary unless we really wanted to. I've heard that other pastors say that too. And I've also heard a pastor say that if you weren't saved before you were baptised then you probably should get baptised again, but not because it has anything to do with your salvation. I liked what others have written on this. When I was baptised the first time all I remember is being told what to wear for it. We were supposed to wear a dress and stockings in those days. But for at least the last 20 years they have a talk on baptism the night before the baptism after the evening meeting, and anyone can stay in for it if they're interested. When my son was baptised about 12 or so years ago Willis P. also talked to them in small groups about how their hair should be cut before they could get baptised. That seemed to be the important issue. And I think unless they conform they aren't allowed. They wait more years usually now then when I was young, it used to be one year was the norm.
I think I have only been to one convention in my life where they had a baptism at the convention. Maybe because our spring conventions in the northern mountains make the spring run off too cold for such activity? Maybe because there were no appropriate streams close to the convention? Our conventions were in June and the baptisms were generally in late July or early August; the ones I remember were usually on Sunday afternoon. We also thought it a fairly common "rule" that people were baptized about a year after they professed. We noticed, when we moved to Washington, though, that almost NONE of the teenagers were ever baptized... no matter how long they had been professing. We thought it strange... of course, that also meant that they did not take part in the bread and wine... of course, later we also realized that the workers were allowing or denying the requests to be baptized based on whether or not they deemed the person asking to be "worthy" or not. I don't remember any of that particular brand of judging going on when I was a kid in Montana? I was indignantly horrified when I realized it was being done!
I have attended at least fourteen full conventions and a baptism was held on Saturday morning at each one of them. A parade of cars left the convention grounds and headed out to a nearby pond of water for the baptisms. After each person was baptized they were expected to stand in the Saturday morning convention meeting and give their testimony. Prior to the Saturday baptism, right after the Friday evening meeting, an invitation was given to stay and hear a little "talk" on baptism. After the usual two hour meeting I was ready to get out and stretch but I always felt I MUST stay and listen to the baptism talk. Apparently everyone else in those meetings felt they also MUST stay for those "talks" because no one ever left.