Baptism Services
“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
~ John 3: 5-8
The Holy Sacrament of Baptism
Wayfarers Chapel is a beautiful and sacred location to celebrate the Holy Sacrament of Baptism. Your baptism is performed by one of our Chapel Ministers in a private service apart from our Sunday Worship Service. You will have the opportunity to meet with a Chapel Minister for a theological discussion and planning of the service. We consider baptism to be an important step in the spiritual journey of one’s life.
It is not necessary to be a member of the Chapel, or of The Swedenborgian Church of North America, in order to be baptized here. At Wayfarers Chapel, we do not baptize into our Christian denomination, but into the Lord’s church on earth, the church in the broad ecumenical concept of it. Our baptism service is a traditional Christian baptism and is accepted as meeting baptism requirements for many other Christian denominations.
Baptisms are privately held in the Chapel on Sundays at 9am & 12 noon. You are welcome to hire a photographer to be present during the service. A Baptism Conference with your assigned Chapel minister is required prior to the baptism date.
Baptism of Children
The joy of having a child welcomed into your family is a wondrous event. The happiness that you experience in becoming parents of a new life in the world is so exciting. We appreciate that you recognize the value of baptism of your child and we are pleased to be of assistance to you in this endeavor. There are two commitments requested of the parents: your choice to raise your child as a Christian and your obligation to provide ongoing love, support and wise guidance to your child.
Godparents are not required, but if you choose to have Godparents, they need not be those whom you would choose to have as legal guardians. Further discussion of the service and any theological questions you may have will be addressed in your conference with the Chapel Minister performing the ceremony.
Adult Baptism
As an adult choosing to participate in the Sacrament of Baptism, you are making a conscious choice to follow the model of Jesus’ life and teachings. How you see his path and the commitment you are making to follow him is a matter we leave to your own conscience and understanding. To support the spiritual journey of individuals is the purpose of not only Wayfarers Chapel but also the entire Swedenborgian denomination. We rejoice with you that you have come to this important turning point in your life.
Jesus taught us by thought, word, and deed. He exemplified what his followers would be challenged to emulate. Baptism in its most meaningful understanding is a deep spiritual commitment to answer this challenge in your everyday life. We congratulate you for considering this important and joyful step on your spiritual journey.
Video and Streaming Options
Families have the option of having the baptism service recorded and live streamed by our Chapel video team. The service is recorded discreetly from remote-controlled cameras that are placed around the Chapel.
Having the service recorded enables loved ones who are unable to attend the baptism service, whether they are far away or have health constraints that make traveling difficult, to still be included and feel close to the family and experience the sharing of this special day.
A recording of the service in its entirety will be given to you to keep as a way to commemorate the baptism. For live-streamed services, you will be given your own private streaming channel with a specific address you can share with your loved ones so that they can participate remotely.
