# Reformed Baptist stance on closed communion and rebaptism?



## RamistThomist (May 27, 2015)

What is the general Reformed baptist take on closed communion? Will they let Presbyterians commune? 

Further, if a Presbyterian wants to join who has only be paedobaptized, does he have to get re-baptized?

Thanks.


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## VictorBravo (May 27, 2015)

In my circles, yes to the Lord's supper. It is on profession of faith and inquiry that you are not under church discipline.

As for being a member, it varies. Some follow the Bunyan approach, others require baptism. It all depends on the local elders and how they view the LBCF, in particular, Chapter 26 section 2:

"Paragraph 2. All persons throughout the world, professing the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are and may be called visible saints;2 and of such ought all particular congregations to be constituted."

In other words, the confession is flexible enough to accommodate as members those who profess faith and acknowledge general obedience to the gospel.

You would have to ask the elders of the local body you might be considering.


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## Bill The Baptist (May 27, 2015)

I would concur with Vic that the majority of Baptist churches would allow admit a Presbyterian to the table as long as they were not under church discipline. On the other hand, most Baptist churches would require rebaptism as a prerequisite for membership since it was not performed upon a profession of faith.


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## Josh Williamson (May 27, 2015)

Depends if they come from the Strict Baptist heritage or not. Many of RB churches I have worked with would state that only those baptised by immersion upon profession of faith are to be admitted to the Lord's Table. Since, our Presbyterian friends may not have had this happen they would be refused the ordinance. Also, most Baptist churches call on paedobaptists to be baptised for the first time before welcoming them into membership.


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## DMcFadden (May 27, 2015)

Jacob, I would suspect that in your part of the country Baptists, even Reformed Baptists, would tend toward the answer Josh gave. While my Baptist pastorates were not in RB congregations, every one of them insisted upon baptism by IMMERSION upon PROFESSION of faith for membership. Whereas many paedobaptist communions accept any trinitarian baptism, the opposite is not so often true. However, closed communion has been trending out of favor among Baptists of several stripes so you might find a welcome spot at the table as long as you are a professing Christian.

[Ironic, isn't it, that the groups with the most restrictive rules for the mode of baptism are the ones that profess to believe the least about its efficacy?]


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## Bill The Baptist (May 27, 2015)

DMcFadden said:


> Jacob, I would suspect that in your part of the country Baptists, even Reformed Baptists, would tend toward the answer Josh gave. While my Baptist pastorates were not in RB congregations, every one of them insisted upon baptism by IMMERSION upon PROFESSION of faith for membership. Whereas many paedobaptist communions accept any trinitarian baptism, the opposite is not so often true. However, closed communion has been trending out of favor among Baptists of several stripes so you might find a welcome spot at the table as long as you are a professing Christian.
> 
> [Ironic, isn't it, that the groups with the most restrictive rules for the mode of baptism are the ones that profess to believe the least about its efficacy?]



It is not the mode that is the issue, it is the lack of a credible profession of faith.


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## DMcFadden (May 27, 2015)

Bill, I pastored a church where an adult convert who came to faith during college and was baptized by sprinkling was required by our constitution to be re-baptized in order to join our church. Credible profession of faith was insufficient absent the "correct" mode.

So, while you are right that the primary issue is the profession of faith, it is not the only one in many Baptist circles.


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## Romans922 (May 28, 2015)

ReformedReidian said:


> Further, if a Presbyterian wants to join who has only be paedobaptized, does he have to get re-baptized?



Jacob, you mean "re-baptized".

My only close experience with a RB congregation was when my wife (before we were married) was becoming reformed and started attending one here in Kansas City. She had not been baptized as of yet (I actually didn't know this until this issue came up). She asked to partake of communion. And they would not let her because she was becoming convinced of the paedo-baptism view that Presbyterians hold to. This reason was given even after she asked to be baptized by them, she having a credible profession of faith. I told her that was not right, and told her she needs to join another body so as to not neglect the sacraments. She did soon after. That's my only experience with the closed communion of RB, though I'm fairly convinced that is not the norm (namely, they wouldn't baptize her because she was becoming convinced of the paedo- view).


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## GulfCoast Presbyterian (May 28, 2015)

Bill The Baptist said:


> I would concur with Vic that the majority of Baptist churches would allow admit a Presbyterian to the table as long as they were not under church discipline. On the other hand, most Baptist churches would require rebaptism as a prerequisite for membership since it was not performed upon a profession of faith.



And for those Presbyterians who were baptized (sprinkled) on profession of faith, would they be required to be immersed as a prerequisite for membership?


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## Bill The Baptist (May 28, 2015)

GulfCoast Presbyterian said:


> Bill The Baptist said:
> 
> 
> > I would concur with Vic that the majority of Baptist churches would allow admit a Presbyterian to the table as long as they were not under church discipline. On the other hand, most Baptist churches would require rebaptism as a prerequisite for membership since it was not performed upon a profession of faith.
> ...



In many Baptist churches yes, however in mine no. One of our elders was formerly a Methodist who was sprinkled upon a profession of faith. He is actually more concerned about the validity of his marriage than the validity of his baptism since he was married by a female minister.


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## GulfCoast Presbyterian (May 28, 2015)

This question is of interest to me, given that when my wife and I were dating in college, it was well known in my (then attending) SBC church that she was Presbyterian. The minister sought to deny her communion (in a very cordial, non-confrontational way), and my wife then pointed out she was baptized at age 14 on profession of faith. Then much discussion arose as to whether or not a "sprinkled person" could receive communion. The final judgment was that she was allowed to receive communion in that particular SBC church due to her baptism on profession of faith. I think sometimes some of our Baptist brothers forget that credo-baptism is common in "infant baptizing" churches.


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