Baptisms

Baptism is the church’s way of recognizing the love and grace God already lavished on us. Baptism is the outward sign that God loves us, that we belong to God, and that we are part of the church community.

At baptism, the church congregation as a whole plays an important part in the commitment to support and nurture those baptized. This is why we generally baptize the children of those who are already members of Westminster. Youth and adults who have not previously received this sacrament are baptized at the time that they join the church.

The sacrament of baptism is offered approximately bimonthly. Parents of infants and young children meet with a member of the pastoral staff and the Minister for Children and Their Families prior to the baptism to explore both the meaning of this sacrament and the logistics of the service. Questions about the sacrament or the process may be directed to a pastor or to Nancy Greidanus, Minister for Children and Their Families.

Our historical baptismal font has been in continuous use since 1887, making it 135 years old. The first baby baptized in the font was Oden Hughart Howard on July 17, 1887. His grandmother, Jane Alanson Howard, gave the font in celebration of her grandson’s baptism.