Recently, Ryan Wolfe was interviewed by our friends at Benevolence United with regard to baptism and the disability community. These questions are not unique to this church and we felt it would be beneficial to share the questions and answers with everyone.
I will answer your question with a question. How does this or any nonverbal individual communicate? Do they use a communication device? If so, proceed as you would with anyone else. If not, work with the individual using their method of communication. Loved ones and caregivers likely have a system of nonverbal communication. Work with them. Focus on basic yes or no questions.
If there is no way of communicating, which is unusual, then lean into the wishes and lifestyle of the person’s loved ones and caregivers. If their faith is genuine, go for it. Remember the “through the roof” story in Mark 2:3-5. It was the faith of the man’s friends that Jesus saw and forgave the sins of the man on the mat.
At the end of the day, do not be the person who stands in the way of someone experiencing the cleansing waters of baptism. Allow God to be the judge.
We believe in a believer’s baptism. That means if someone wants to be baptized it needs to be their decision and they must understand exactly what they are doing. That is why we created a baptism decision workbook. It is available in multiple formats (digital, print, large print, video version, braille, etc.) so it is accessible to all. We encourage individuals to work through this workbook with a trusted adult believer in their lives. That could be a parent, caregiver, friend, Pastor, or whomever they trust.
Four chapters to our workbook include lessons on:
After working through the workbook you will have a very clear understanding of the readiness of the individual.
Baptism is the biggest win in ministry! Playing a part in walking people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus is our greatest privilege in ministry. Everything we do should point people to making this decision. It must be more than a once-a-year altar call. I recommend pointing people to this on a monthly basis. After baptism, you can’t let up! An equal emphasis also needs to be placed on discipleship. Baptism is not the finish line of our faith journey. Baptism is the starting line. That is why we are releasing (soon!) a Beyond Baptism Study. Super excited about this. It will help people get out of the starting blocks of their faith journey. Keep an eye out for this resource.
One other insight that I would share is about the method of baptism. This is a question that I get occasionally because there are disabilities that prevent people from being fully submerged. First, I want to recognize the fact that full submersion is the only method that we see in the pages of scripture. It was also the method and example that Jesus set for believers. We should always follow the example of Jesus and what we see in scripture. That said, if fully submerging someone with varying disabilities would literally kill them I think God would be okay with making an exception! In these instances, I have seen people pour water over the head of the individual.
Another method question I get is what if the church’s baptistry is not accessible?
Most baptistries are not accessible because they have stairs leading down into them. Move your baptism service to a local pool or YMCA where there is a chair lift. Again, do not be the person who stands in the way of someone experiencing baptism. There is always a way!!!
