# I found the true anabaptists...



## Jake (Nov 24, 2017)

And by anabaptists, I mean re-baptizers literally.

Someone I grew up with is now a pastor in the Congregational Methodist denomination. I wasn't very familiar with it, so in looking at their statement of beliefs, I found this:



> Baptism is a testimony to the inner work of salvation. Whether it is by immersion, sprinkling, or pouring, baptism itself does not save, but is a reflection of salvation as a cleansing of sin. Children are baptized as a dedication to God, but such baptism or christening does not take the place of believer's baptism.



I had heard of this happening with some Methodists, but I'd never seen it as part of a statement of faith, much less for a decently sized denomination (looks like at least a couple of hundred churches, and the church he is in is a megachurch). Is this unique to this group or have I just missed it?


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## timfost (Nov 24, 2017)

I guess they're covering all their bases...


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## OPC'n (Nov 24, 2017)

I believe that even the reformed Baptists re-baptize adults if they were baptized as infants. I"m not sure how true that is, but someone from PB who is a reformed Baptist said they do. That stated, I doubt they would consider themselves anabaptists.


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## Dachaser (Nov 25, 2017)

OPC'n said:


> I believe that even the reformed Baptists re-baptize adults if they were baptized as infants. I"m not sure how true that is, but someone from PB who is a reformed Baptist said they do. That stated, I doubt they would consider themselves anabaptists.


Normally, Baptist would require a Baptism as a believer as would not see infant one as being a legit one, but that usually only is in case person wants to be an official member.


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## Gforce9 (Nov 25, 2017)

An important note: Anabaptists, among other things, were/are 1) divisive separatists and 2) those whom divorced the word and the Spirit, neither of which can be attributed to our confessional Baptist brethren. Incidentally and ironically, two things came from the movement, one expected, one kinda odd: 1) the Spirit "leading" unhinged from <real> special revelation and 2) "me and my bible"......


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## Jake (Nov 25, 2017)

OPC'n said:


> I believe that even the reformed Baptists re-baptize adults if they were baptized as infants. I"m not sure how true that is, but someone from PB who is a reformed Baptist said they do. That stated, I doubt they would consider themselves anabaptists.



I interpreted the statement to mean they will baptize the same person as both an infant and later after a profession of faith, within the same congregation. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. 



Gforce9 said:


> An important note: Anabaptists, among other things, were/are 1) divisive separatists and 2) those whom divorced the word and the Spirit, neither of which can be attributed to our confessional Baptist brethren. Incidentally and ironically, two things came from the movement, one expected, one kinda odd: 1) the Spirit "leading" unhinged from <real> special revelation and 2) "me and my bible"......



I was calling them anabaptists as a play on the name and not the whole theology of the original anabaptists.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Herald (Nov 25, 2017)

OPC'n said:


> I believe that even the reformed Baptists re-baptize adults if they were baptized as infants. I"m not sure how true that is, but someone from PB who is a reformed Baptist said they do. That stated, I doubt they would consider themselves anabaptists.



Sarah, speaking as a Reformed Baptist, we baptize adult believers based on their profession of faith. We do not recognize their prior baptism as valid, ergo, we are scripturally baptizing them for the first time.


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