Baptism is a sacrament of profound significance in the Christian faith. As a sign and seal of God’s covenant, it symbolizes both our inclusion in the visible church and the spiritual realities of union with Christ. At Pilgrim International Church, we hold to the Reformed understanding of baptism, rooted in Scripture and articulated in the Westminster Standards and the Three Forms of Unity. This article seeks to explain our view of baptism, addressing its meaning, recipients, administration, and implications.
Baptism is a sacrament instituted by Christ (Matthew 28:19) to signify and seal the benefits of the covenant of grace. As the Westminster Confession of Faith states, “Baptism is a sacrament of the new testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible church, but also, to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life” (WCF 28.1).
It signifies:
In Reformed theology, baptism is to be administered to two groups:
Baptism is both a sign and a seal. As a sign, it represents God’s covenant promises—union with Christ, forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39). As a seal, it confirms these promises to the believer. However, the efficacy of baptism is not tied to the moment of its administration, nor is it dependent on the recipient’s conscious apprehension of what is happening (e.g., infant baptism). The Heidelberg Catechism explains, “As surely as water washes away the dirt from the body, so certainly his blood and his Spirit wash away my soul’s impurity, that is, all my sins” (HC Q&A 69).
The proper administration of baptism requires water and the invocation of the name of the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). It must be performed by a lawful minister of the gospel within the context of the visible church. As the Westminster Confession states, baptism is to abe administered “by a minister of the gospel, lawfully called thereunto” (WCF 28.2).
The validity of baptism does not depend on the personal piety or moral character of the minister. This distinguishes our position from the Donatists, a 4th-century sect that argued sacraments were invalid if performed by clergy who had lapsed under persecution. Reformed theology holds that the sacrament’s validity depends on its administration within the visible church and in accordance with Christ’s institution (1 Corinthians 3:5-7).
Ordinarily, we baptize by pouring water over the head of the person to be baptized, but the mode of baptism (pouring, immersing, or sprinkling) we hold to be indifferent.
Re-baptism is not practiced in the Reformed tradition because it undermines the assurance of God’s covenant promises. Baptism signifies the once-for-all nature of salvation (Ephesians 4:5) and reflects the security of those who are truly in Christ (John 10:28-29) on the basis of his perfect finished work. Baptism reflects God’s faithfulness, not our emotions, spiritual feelings, or subjective evaluation of our spiritual condition.
To suggest that baptism must be repeated undermines the assurance of salvation and the sufficiency of Christ’s finished work.
At Pilgrim International Church, we deeply value unity among Christians and strive to maintain a spirit of charity and humility in our interactions with all who profess faith in Christ. Yet, we also recognize the importance of standing firmly on biblical truth, even when doing so creates division. One area where this principle applies is our understanding of baptism and our practice concerning those who were baptized in the Roman Catholic Church.
To some, our practice of baptizing individuals who come to us from Roman Catholic backgrounds may seem unusual or even offensive, as if we were engaging in “re-baptism.” However, we hold this position because we do not recognize Roman Catholic baptism as Christian baptism. Below, we outline our reasons for this conviction in a spirit of clarity and kindness, while remaining unapologetic in our commitment to biblical fidelity.
The Bible teaches that baptism is a sacrament of initiation, marking one’s entrance into the visible church. This role is analogous to circumcision in the Old Testament, which signified membership in the covenant community of Israel. Just as circumcision admitted a person to the visible community of God’s people, so baptism admits a person to the visible church. Unlike circumcision, however, baptism is administered to both boys and girls, men and women (Galatians 3:28). For a baptism to be valid, it must be administered by a true branch of Christ’s visible church. Furthermore, our confession of faith states that baptism is only administered by a minister of the gospel lawfully called to that office. This leads us to ask: Is the Roman Catholic Church a true branch of the visible church? Are its priests truly ministers of the gospel?
The historic Reformed tradition has identified three marks by which a true visible church can be recognized:
By these biblical and historical standards, we believe that the Roman Catholic Church does not constitute a true branch of the visible church.
Because the Roman Catholic Church does not exhibit the marks of a true church, it cannot admit individuals to the visible church. Its priests are not true ministers of Christ, nor are they members of a true visible church. Therefore, their administration of baptism is invalid. When someone baptized in the Roman Catholic Church comes to Pilgrim International Church, we do not view their baptism as Christian baptism. Instead, we see their coming to faith as an occasion for them to receive true Christian baptism—not as a re-baptism, but as their first valid baptism.
Our position should not be confused with the error of the Donatists, a 4th-century sect that questioned the validity of sacraments performed by clergy who had lapsed under persecution. The Donatists argued that sacraments were invalid if administered by ministers of questionable moral character or personal history. By contrast, we affirm that the validity of a sacrament does not depend on the personal regeneration or moral character of the minister but on their proper relationship to the visible church. For a sacrament to be valid, it must be administered by someone who is a member of a true visible church, exercising their office within that context. This distinction underscores that our position focuses not on the individual minister’s invisible standing before God but on their visible connection to Christ’s true church.
Baptism is a gift of grace, not a work of man. It reminds us of God’s covenant faithfulness and calls us to live as those set apart for His purposes. Whether administered to an infant or an adult convert, baptism points to the reality of God’s saving work in Christ. As we administer this sacrament, we do so in obedience to Christ’s command and with confidence in His promises.
At Pilgrim International Church, we are committed to upholding the biblical teaching on baptism. We invite anyone with questions or concerns to engage with us as we seek to glorify God and faithfully administer His sacraments.
