Romanian Baptists on the Problem of SBC “Rebaptizing”
By Trevin Wax on Aug 24, 2009 in Reaching Romania, Southern Baptist Convention | 
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I have a number of friends who have grown up in Baptist churches. Many were baptized as children, again as teenagers, and then again as adults. (I remember one church baptizing the entire youth group after a special weekend retreat. Nevermind that most of these teens had grown up in church and been baptized once or twice before!)
Most of those who have been baptized more than once will claim that their earlier baptisms were invalid because they were not truly saved, or they did not know enough about what was going on to see their baptism as personally meaningful. Dr. Danny Akin recently estimated that perhaps 50% of our baptisms are “re-baptisms.”
During my five years of ministry in Romania, I discovered that this problem (which seems to plague Southern Baptist churches in the States) was virtually non-existent in Eastern Europe. In five years time, I never once witnessed a “re-baptism.” Never once did someone in a Baptist church there even ask for such a thing.
Why do Baptists in America have this problem? And how do Baptists in Romania avoid this problem?
In answer to this question, I will be posting a forum featuring several Romanian Baptist theologians and pastors. I have asked some specific questions about Baptist practice in Romania, and have translated their answers for the benefit of Southern Baptists in the U.S.
Americans send missionaries elsewhere to train others. But I believe that we in America can benefit from hearing from our brothers and sisters overseas as well. Here are brief biographies of the participants in this week’s forum.
Dr. Paul Negruț
President of Emanuel University of Oradea
Pastor of Emanuel Baptist Church, Oradea, Romania
Former president of the Romanian Baptist Union
Married to Delia since 1975; 2 daughters: Anna-Salomea (b. 1979), married to John, gave us first grandson, Paul Gabriel (4 yr. old) and Lois Paula (b. 1985), married to Sebastian.
Author of Revelație, Scriptură, Comuniune, Cristos, Biserica și Lucrurile de pe Urmă, Suveranitatea lui Dumnezeu și Sensul Vieții sub Soare, Nu este Bine ca Omul să fie Singur, and Biserica, Statul și Autoritatea.
Doru Hnatiuc
Pastor of Emanuel Baptist Church, Oradea
Professor of Homiletics at Emanuel University
Contributor of articles to Creștinul Azi and Mesaj
Editor of numerous books
Dr. Corneliu Simuț
Reader in Dogmatic & Historical Theology at Emanuel University
Editor of Perichoresis
Author of The Doctrine of Salvation in the Sermons of Richard Hooker
Dr. Marius Cruceru
Pastor of Aleșd Baptist Church
Dean of the School of Theology at Emanuel University
Author of Intoarcerea în Oglinda and Augustin: Un Amator…
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Do you know if the SBC (St. Benedict Center) performs Conditional Baptism on those who receive a Novus Ordo baptism?
I’m asking you guys because I remember Dr. White debating I think ex-Calvinist Minister Gerry Matatics (who was affiliated with them) years ago. I do not know if Gerry got a valid baptism yet, or not?
I read about some Protestants and Novus Ordo lacking Orthodox Baptism in the good book “Praxis Obnoxia” which I think you should read if you have a chance–I guess a billion people need a Conditional Baptism, maybe more:
http://www.lulu.com/content/3824207
Smith | Aug 24, 2009 | Reply
Is this a problem only with Baptists? I don’t remember seeing it in other congregations? To me the Bible is very clear about this: One baptism and one baptism only.
RJ | Aug 24, 2009 | Reply
RJ,
I suppose it’s a problem for a number of denominations in the U.S. that practice believers’ baptism. This subject is the elephant in the room when speaking of baptismal statistics in the SBC. Our annual number of baptisms has already declined, but if we were to take out of those the number of baptisms that were “counted” in previous years, our numbers would be strikingly lower.
I hope that people will stick around to see what the Romanians have to say about this.
Trevin Wax | Aug 24, 2009 | Reply
I look forward to reading what is said as well. I can’t believe this happens, and yet I was also a re-baptism. I think my second one was a truly needed baptism, however, as no one had to convince me that I hadn’t been saved the first time. Another story, another time.
Ok, yes, let’s get to the bottom of this. Thanks for bringing it up!
Dan | Aug 24, 2009 | Reply
Here’s a point to discuss… if you move to a new city, a new state and there join a new church body… is it WRONG to be baptized as a public profession of your faith in the midst of that particular congregation? If you were earlier baptized as part of a different body, your public profession amongst that community is obviously recognized, but would it be scripturally wrong to get re-baptized in a new community?
Brian Frahm | Aug 24, 2009 | Reply
I just saw on Facebook Saturday night where my stepdaughter was posting that she is getting baptized next Saturday night. Long story, but we rarely see each other, and she was baptized based on a profession of faith when she was 6 in my church. So, I sent her a private message through Facebook and asked her why she was getting baptized again since I considered her baptism valid. Her reply was that it wasn’t about being valid, but that she had recently experienced Jesus in a richer way than ever before in her life and had re-dedicated her life.
I did not get into a discussion with her regarding this, but told her that I would trust the pastoral care she was getting and rejoice that she is walking with the Lord in the here and now. But, in my opinion, unless she considers that she was not a Christian when she was 6, this second baptism is unnecessary. All her recent experience has done is shown that she belong to Him and it was time for the prodigal to come home. I hope I did the right thing by not laying all this on her, but I am very interested to see what the Romanian Baptist brothers have to say about this.
Cary | Aug 24, 2009 | Reply
How about the Orthodox Church–is their baptism valid?
I read ALL the Orthodox Fathers supported Infant Baptism. I also read the Nicene Council did, too.
Maybe the Heretic Pelagius was the first who did not? St. Augustine wrote a treatise defending Infant baptism against the Heresy of Pelagianism. There were several councils at the time that denounced Pelagius as “anathema sit.”
What do you guys think of Saint Cyprian of Carthage?
If the Early Orthodox Christian Catholic Church was ONCE SAVED – with Valid Infant Baptism – THEN ALWAYS SAVED, yea?
There can be NO doubts about water and the Holy Ghost read John 3:5, because there is no salvation outside the Church, as I learned in Praxis Obnoxia this is Orthodox Christian Dogma.
Smith | Aug 24, 2009 | Reply
Americans get rebaptized because they do NOT here the Gospel preached on a weekly basis in Church. Moreover, after getting baptized, they are fed a steady diet of Legalism which completey destroys their faith.
Mich | Aug 24, 2009 | Reply
Perhaps it would be informative to include those who baptize covenant children in the discussion. This site is so even-handed and fair on these issues, it might be interesting for people to be exposed to the biblical arguments for infant baptism as well, especially since the PCA and SBC are thick as thieves these days.
Here’s a resource explaining the concept.
http://www.spepc.org/assets/PDF/FAQ-baptize-web.pdf
E1st | Aug 25, 2009 | Reply
Hey guys…. I hope you read GREEK ?
Praxis Obnoxia and other Greek/Latin books (now in English thanks to Catholic scholars like Erasmus) demonstrate that ALL THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN FATHERS believed in Infant Baptism! And guess what–they were Bible Believers–like St. Augustine of Hippo, yeah?
Anyone got Greek Goat’s Milk?
Smith | Aug 27, 2009 | Reply
Like I always say, it’s a good thing we aren’t still doing circumcisions. With the poor sacramental theology of modern evangelicals and baptists, there’d be lots of blood on the ground.
Chuck | Jun 14, 2010 | Reply