Continuing growth rather than a quick splash: Quakers and baptism
Baptism with water is almost universally used by Christian churches as a ritual of initiation. Quakers are an exception – Rhiannon Grant explains why.
Quakers think about baptism, and other sacraments, a bit differently to other churches. In particular, Quakers have always wanted to focus on the experience – on what someone is feeling in the moment – rather than on a set of rituals which, although they can be authentic and deeply meaningful, run the risk of becoming habitual rather than felt. But going without the water doesn't mean going without the spiritual part.
The power of God's Spirit
We see the Spirit moving in our communities all the time. It can work as a transforming power which enables us to take extraordinary action to change the world; it can change our lives, to bring us into the Quaker community or show us a way forward. Following these leadings can bring us to huge amounts of compassion and joy as well as challenge and service.
We also find it important to remember that the Spirit is unpredictable. God's love and abundance outruns our expectations. In our unplanned meetings for worship the silence can be enriched by speech, song, or movement. In the same way, some of us sometimes experience a baptism of the Spirit, a moment perhaps of refreshment or renewal, without preparation but simply in response to the divine.
Seeking and finding
People are drawn to the Quaker way for lots of reasons. Some people start with the stillness of worship and want more. Some find Quakers through our work in the world, anywhere from a protest march to a prison chaplaincy. Some may be seeking a spiritual home for a long time; some have a sudden moment of clarity known to Quakers as 'convincement'; a few are raised in Quaker families and communities.
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Our understanding of baptism is that it is not a single act of initiation but a continuing growth in the Holy Spirit and a commitment which must continually be renewed.
- To Lima with love: Baptism, eucharist and ministry, a Quaker response
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Given this diversity, some people will have been baptised before they become a Quaker, or have been initiated into one or more other religious traditions. Others may have an experience on their spiritual path which feels like baptism.
There are also Quakers who would identify their baptism as a long-term process or not find the language and images of the Christian tradition useful in describing their spirituality. Instead, we might think about how spiritual growth happens – slowly or quickly, on a smooth road or a bumpy one – and what it means to be committed to a faith community. What matters here is to identify the Spirit moving in our lives, however we describe that loving power, and to be in fellowship with those who acknowledge the same power at work in their lives.
Membership and belonging
For those who are committed to the Quaker community, the formal process of membership is a way of making a public statement of belonging. For the individual coming into membership means aligning themself with the Quaker movement and being known to the community, without being tied to specific belief claims. For the Quaker community who welcome someone into membership, it means knowing them as someone who has found some of our shared truth. Like baptism, formal membership means being officially part of the community, and for some people the process of applying and being accepted is itself a spiritual experience.
