How to Become a Member

You may become a member of Saint John Baptist Church in any of the ways set forth below. Saint John Baptist Church is committed to the followings of Jesus Christ. If you would like to join us and be supportive of our church, we passionately and warmly invite you to become a member.

To become a member you can:

  • Present Yourself for Membership
  • Express a Desire to become a Member
  • Transfer of membership from another Baptist church
  • Statement of faith
  • By Restoration

Present Yourself for Membership

  • Present yourself for membership during our worship service when the invitation is given at the end of the message.
  • If you join during our worship service, our Pastor will invite those who desire to become members of Saint John to come to the front of the sanctuary.
  • A minister or a deacon will greet you and introduce you to another minister or deacon who will guide you in your decision.
  • You may also join at the time set aside in Bible Study or other events were the invitation to join Saint John is offered.

Express a Desire to become a Member

Express your desire to become a member through one of the following means:

Profession of Faith

  • If you have recently accepted Christ as your Savior, making a public profession of faith is the first step in becoming a member of a Baptist Church.
  • Upon your public profession of faith in Christ and after your baptism by immersion, you are added to the membership of the church.
  • During this altar call you will be introduced and a baptismal service will be scheduled for you.
  • If you receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and follow Him in baptism by immersion, we welcome you into our fellowship.

What is Baptism?

  • Baptism is an act in which a person who has become a follower of Jesus Christ is immersed in water as a way of identifying with Jesus Christ. Just like wearing a wedding ring indicates a person is married, being baptized demonstrates that a person has committed their life to Jesus.
  • The believer humbles himself by putting on a simple robe, thereby disdaining any social status as a basis for salvation.
  • Then one enters the waters and confesses that "Jesus is Lord," this being the earliest known confession of faith.
  • The person is then put under the water trusting completely in the faithfulness of the administrant to raise the person up.
  • This symbolizes the death-drowning-of one's sin and selfish strivings in the baptismal tomb.
  • When the person is raised up again, it is a sign that God will give the person life again after death, just as Jesus was raised from the dead.
  • The water of baptism does not save. Baptism is an act of obedience to Jesus Christ and a public testimony of one's faith.
  • Baptism does not make a person a Christian; it is something we do to tell others we are a Christian.

Who should be Baptized? The short answer is new believers.

  • In the New Testament, new believers were baptized soon after their decision to become followers of Jesus. Only persons who had already accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord are baptized. As stated above, this was for the purpose of marking themselves as followers of Jesus.
  • The question is often asked why Baptists don't baptize babies. There is no record in the New Testament of an infant being baptized. Saint John does not practice infant baptism. Rather infants and children are nurtured and encouraged in the faith until such age as the child can make a personal commitment. We involve the child, the parents, godparents, extended family and congregation in a service of infant dedication. This meaningful service of blessing and commitment is conducted during regular worship services.
  • The issue is not infant baptism versus adult baptism. The issue is infant baptism versus believer's baptism. In the New Testament only believers were baptized.

Why do Baptists Baptize by Immersion?

  • Baptists baptize by immersion instead of pouring or sprinkling for several reasons.
      1) The New Testament word translated "baptize" in our English translations of the Bible means "to immerse, submerge."
      2) Immersion better pictures the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
      3) It was the method practiced in both the New Testament and the early church. We refer to this as New Testament Baptism.
  • There are three different instances when a person will join Saint John by this means:
      1) When a person who has never accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord decides to make this eternally important decision;
      2) When a person has already accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, but has not publicly confessed Him by being baptized;
      3) When a person has accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, but was baptized by a method other than immersion or was baptized before they accepted Jesus Christ(such as when a person was baptized as an infant).

In each of these instances, we would ask the person requesting membership to be baptized at Saint John.

Transfer of membership from another Baptist church

  • If you are currently a member of another Baptist Church, we will receive you as a member upon promise of a letter from that church.
  • Saint John will contact that church to notify them of your decision and request your letter.

Statement of faith

  • If you know in your heart that you have previously experienced salvation by receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord and you are currently not a member of another Baptist church, and You were baptized by immersion after you accepted Jesus Christ, you may become a member of Saint John.
  • We will receive you as a member based on your statement to us that you were baptized by immersion after you had accepted Jesus Christ.

By Restoration

  • Any person who had been a member of Saint John, baptized and has not been fellowshipping with the church, but now desires to restore that fellowship may join.