January 25

My Baptism Story – Part 1

7  comments

I’ve not been baptized…as a believer.

{Gasp!}

But, you’re a pastor’s wife?! (And, a Baptist one!)

Let me share with you a bit about my journey.

I grew up Catholic, and was baptized as an infant. I went through First Communion and First Confession and went to Catholic school until I was in 4th grade. After that, my parents moved us to a private Christian school. Around the same time, my mom told me that when we went to my grandmother’s house, to not do “this” anymore, as she motioned a cross from forehead, heart, side to side.

So, then, I became Protestant. I first truly saw my need for Christ in Junior High, and I received salvation by grace, through faith. I graduated from High School, and that summer, after seeds of rebellion had begun to grow, God once again granted me repentance and I began my journey of truly following Christ, in a daily relationship with Him.

That summer I moved across the country to attend Auburn University; with this new life ahead of me, I decided to start taking my faith seriously as the Lord continued to draw me closer and closer to Him. I grew tremendously over the next four years, mainly through my involvement with Campus Crusade for Christ. However, I never found a home church. It took the entire four years for me to get over the culture-shock of moving from Southern California to Bible-Belt Alabama. I didn’t feel comfortable in any church I visited there. I attended church despite this fact, but I never joined a church, and I don’t remember any opportunities given for Baptism. I really never thought about it.

Then I moved to Jacksonville. I found a Methodist church I loved, and joined! It was great to finally have a church home. When I joined the church, they suggested all new members be baptized, if they had not already. However, they recognized infant baptism, and the leaders of the church said it was fine to leave things as they were. I agreed.
Baptism is an outward sign, of an inward decision. By this point in my journey with the Lord, I understood it as a way to identify yourself with Christ, and not required for salvation.  At that time, I felt like it would have been legalism for me to be baptized, in that, the only reason I would have done it would have been to check it off my spiritual list. I was not ashamed of my faith. I was in full-time ministry and regularly sharing my faith, in His Word daily (mostly!) There was no inclination in me toward being baptized. I think deep down, I saw it as something for new believers. An opportunity to start over, and identify themselves as a Christian. For those who maybe hadn’t really told many about their faith. A bit of a coming out of sorts. I didn’t feel that I needed that.
If ever there was a time that the Holy Spirit may have been moving me towards baptism, it was about three years later …
Stay tuned, tomorrow, for the rest of the story!

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  1. This sounds EXACTLY like me, until the beginning of 2008. After I read the rest of your story tomorrow, I will post for you the link to my story.

  2. Ooooo… can't wait to read the rest! I was raised Catholic too, and have spent lots of time on this issue in thought, prayer and scripture.

  3. I'm an ex-Catholic too! and I won't make any further comments until I've read the rest of your story tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it. 🙂

  4. Thank you for sharing Katie. 🙂
    I too was re-baptist as an adult at age 21. I was raised Luthern (basically Catholic!) and so the family that was here would not come because they did not understand since I was baptised as an infant.
    I am sure this our stories are more common than we realize. Alot of people are just afraid to open up…you know get "too" pesonal about themselves.

  5. I read of conversion in the NT including baptism. Our Lord was baptized. I followed in His footsteps. The early church continued the practice, as do those in other countries reading the Bible for the first time. We don't have to understand why God expects it, we just have to obey. I pray your journey leads you there.

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