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Baptism

We believe that baptism is ordination to the Christian ministry. It is consecration or ordination to take part in the mission which is committed to the whole church.

Baptism is a sign of the initiation by which  we are received into the mission of the church. Thus planted in Christ, we may be considered God's children. Baptism serves our faith as a token and proof of our cleansing; it is a sealed document to confirm to us that all of our sins are abolished, remitted and effaced. At First Presbyterian Church, baptism is encouraged of all believers in Christ as an outward sign that one is cleansed from sin and called into righteousness.

First Presbyterian Church, through its connection with Reformed Christians around the world, practices infant and adult baptism. We believe that the covenant which the Lord once made with Abraham is no less in force today for Christians than it was of old for the Jewish people. The covenant is for the believers and their seed.

Infants are baptized into future repentance and faith, and even though these have not yet formed in them, the seed of both lies hidden within them by the power of the Holy Spirit. The family and the local church are vital for bringing the child to later repentance. Hence the church obligates its self to be the child's  sponsor to the end that this child will grow up trusting Christ as Savior and Lord.

If you are interested in having your child baptized, or you are seeking believer's baptism, please call the church office and schedule a conference with the pastor and elders before any dates are scheduled.