What is the Local Church view on baptism?

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by Terry

Local Church are Baptists without being doctrinal about it. Baptism is by submersion. Never saw anyone baptized by sprinkling. Always submersion.
As for children, I can't recall witnessing any children being baptized younger than 12 or 13. Quite possible children younger than that have been baptized, but I haven't seen it.

Along with most of my peers, I was baptized in 6th grade after we had a conference. That seemed to be standard practice in So Cal, where the young people in 6th grade would all be baptized at the same time. It does beg the question as to how much it was initiative-based rather than happening because of pressure. When I was in college, we had semi-annual conferences where there would be baptisms during the conference, and everyone who had been saved on the campus during the quarter was encouraged to be baptized. Sometimes there would be a long line for baptisms and it would go on for 30-45 minutes. Again, it makes you wonder if group pressure was involved or not.

The only oddity I've seen related to the practice of baptism in the LC is that of members being baptized more than once. I saw one person get baptized on three separate occasions. I once saw an elder get re-baptized at the spur of the moment with no explanation given.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Freedom

Along with most of my peers, I was baptized in 6th grade after we had a conference. That seemed to be standard practice in So Cal, where the young people in 6th grade would all be baptized at the same time. It does beg the question as to how much it was initiative-based rather than happening because of pressure. When I was in college, we had semi-annual conferences where there would be baptisms during the conference, and everyone who had been saved on the campus during the quarter was encouraged to be baptized. Sometimes there would be a long line for baptisms and it would go on for 30-45 minutes. Again, it makes you wonder if group pressure was involved or not.

The only oddity I've seen related to the practice of baptism in the LC is that of members being baptized more than once. I saw one person get baptized on three separate occasions. I once saw an elder get re-baptized at the spur of the moment with no explanation given.

During the 1987 HS conference in Irving, which followed a trip for many of them to Taipei, there was intimidating pressure by the "trainers" to be baptized (often, again.) Then they turned the pressure on the elders using the YP to challenge them openly. Some succumbed, others like Titus Chu, refused to budge.

What a fiasco! And they call that the economical spirit or some such.