Baptism meant/means that you have consciously accepted Jesus as Savior. That's the primary intent. The stuff with church membership is peripheral. Being baptized also means that you can officially become a voting member of the congregation (though I suppose you could request baptism and decline church membership) because you couldn't become a member of the congregation without having been baptized SOMEWHERE. Hence the church letters that allow you to transfer your membership from one congregation to another. JanT **************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4&?NCID=aolfod00030000000002)

Jan is fundamentally correct here. Our historical Brethren understanding, the understanding of the church through the 18th - 19th century and even beyond, is that baptism is "an outward sign of inward grace." Baptism, then, is an indication that the recipient is saved, that God has dealt graciously with that person, and their eternal life is assured. Membership within the church is something that followed, as a "natural" outcome of baptism as a sign of salvation. A saved follower of Christ is, quite sensibly, a member of Christ's church. But one was never baptized, in the Brethren community, in order to "join the church." One was baptized to acknowledge and receive the grace of God, through Christ, and then one ipso facto became a church member. Peace to all, Joe Custer Bethany congregation northern Indiana ----- Original Message ----- From: <KTompk7744@aol.com> To: <brethren@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, May 26, 2008 9:36 AM Subject: Re: [BRE] Baptism Question > Baptism meant/means that you have consciously accepted Jesus as Savior. > That's the primary intent. The stuff with church membership is > peripheral. > > Being baptized also means that you can officially become a voting member > of > the congregation (though I suppose you could request baptism and decline > church membership) because you couldn't become a member of the > congregation > without having been baptized SOMEWHERE. Hence the church letters that > allow you > to transfer your membership from one congregation to another. > > JanT > > > > > > **************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with > Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. > (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4&?NCID=aolfod00030000000002) > > ------------------------ > Search the Archives at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/BRETHREN > ------------------------ > Support Our Sponsoring Agency > The Fellowship Of Brethren Genealogists (FOBG) > For further information contact Ron McAdams mailto:McAdamsr@hotmail.com > ------------------------ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BRETHREN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >