Public baptisms make a statement to community

DENTON—For some, baptism is a lot more public than it once would have been.

As a way to empower individuals to make a faith statement to a community, some congregations are moving their baptisms from inside a church baptistry to outside in public places.

Christ Community Church in Denton baptizes new converts to Christ in a large metal trough on the city square.

Christ Community Church in Denton baptizes people in a large metal trough on the city square. Conducting the baptism outside the church building shatters preconceived notions about faith and encourages onlookers to think about what is taking place, Pastor Ross Appleton said.

“It’s just kind of become passé to be a Christian,” he said. “It’s a cultural thing. Because it’s a cultural thing, there’s no expectation of being a public Christian. What we’re trying to say is: ‘Jesus is real. Jesus is real in Denton.’ People in Denton need to see that.”

In a public arena, baptism becomes a visual witness to the community, a way for an individual and a congregation to express their faith. Christ Community Church chose the town square because it is across the street from where the congregation meets, but also to reinforce its mission of being a church with a heart for the city.

“This is not simply a coming-of-age ceremony, which I think in many church situations that’s how it’s treated,” Appleton said. “This is saying, ‘I’m a new creation, and I’m telling the world about it.’ And I think that’s really needed in our culture.”

Baptism provides a visual picture of people committing to a relationship with Christ, he added. By seeing the practice, people better understand what it means to leave an old life behind and move forward in a new life with Christ.

Sign up for our weekly edition and get all our headlines in your inbox on Thursdays Email Address Christ Community Church in Denton conducted baptisms in the square across the street from where the congregation meets.

“This kind of helps to strip away the preconceived notions and get to the core of the message,” he said.

New Generations Fellowship in New Braunfels baptizes people twice a year in the Guadalupe River as tourists and locals float the water on inner tubes. The baptisms provide events through which others hear the gospel.

On those baptism Sundays, the church cancels its typical service and holds a gathering along the river with free food and children’s activities. Members are encouraged to invite their friends and neighbors who are not connected to a church.

“The main reason is people like the special feeling of being baptized in a river,” Pastor Joe Tostado said.

“Also, it just gives us the opportunity and gives them the opportunity to bring their friends who still don’t feel comfortable enough to come to a church building. They’ll come out for the free food.”

During the last gathering, more than 300 people turned out as the church baptized 26 people. A tuber who was floating by stopped when she saw the church performing the baptism and told Tostado that she recently had made a profession of faith in Christ and wanted to be baptized. After a brief interview with her, the congregation baptized the woman as well.

“God tugged her heart,” he said. “It takes courage to do what God says. She wanted to take that step in obedience and be baptized. And we did it.”