About a year ago I shared in the baptism of several zealous followers of Jesus in their 20’s, and it stirred something deep within me.
I sense that we rarely take water baptism seriously in the way that scripture intends. Instead, we cast it in a way that ones’ Christian life is more connected to, defined by, resourced by and accountable to the local organized church than to the Spirit led and empowered life of the Kingdom of God. Romans 6:3-5 is a good place to start in understanding baptism. PLEASE read it! www.bible.com/bible/59/ROM.6.3-5.esv
As a pastor I would baptize one into the Body of Christ, some then becoming members of our local organized church and some not. Those are two separate things. It is essential that we actively function as part of the Body of Christ and have life-giving relationships there, but the local institutional church is only one place where we can practice that.
You know that I believe that many Christians in America bear little resemblance to what Jesus had in mind for His Matthew 16:18 Church, and preparing for the baptism of my young friends gave me opportunity to work on defining that. Soooo – I wrote “A Baptismal Declaration for Followers of Jesus,” and dared them to sign it. They did. I would too.
Authentic Christianity requires obedience to Jesus under His active leadership by His Spirit, in all of life, much more than by embracing a specific church’s “What We Believe” statement (that clashes with those of many others who claim to follow Christ), and their code of conduct that is overseen by men – yet we typically get that backwards. Don’t we?
I maintain that this Baptismal Declaration simply presents what Jesus requires of His followers. It is the narrow path that leads to the narrow gate that opens into the endless expanses of the Abundant Life of the Kingdom of God present and eternal which, according to Jesus, few actually find – thus the lethargic and impotent institution known in America as “The Church.” PLEASE read it.
Would you sign it? Would you dare to ask baptismal candidates to?
Ken Stoltzfus
Kidron, Ohio USA
November 14, 2025
BAPTISMAL DECLARATION: www.10minas.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Baptismal-Declaration.pdf
THIS POST: www.10minas.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/25-29-Would-You-Sign-This.pdf