IMB Controversy

I've stayed silent on this issue, but I thought I would take some time today and make a post about it. Just in case you haven't heard, the International Mission Board's board of trustees recently voted to change some candidate requirements. I'm not going to comment on what I think about it…I'm just going to blog about a misinterpret of the policy I have read (most of the problems people have with the policy revolve around this sort of thing, so this one is fairly representative).

Will Shin states on his blog "…it [baptism] is to be administered by ordained ministers only."

I think this is an incorrect interpretation. The policy simply states (you can read the whole thing ) ""…Baptism must take place in a church that practices believer’s baptism by immersion alone, does not view baptism as sacramental or regenerative, and a church that embraces the doctrine of the security of the believer." How do you read that and get that you have to be baptised by an ordaned minister? It simply means that the church where your baptism takes place has to believe in certain things…the body you join when you are baptised must believe certain things. If you are baptised outside in the creek (like many people are) are still valid (remember, a church isn't a building…it is a group of people), yes your baptism still counts.

[Update 10 March 2007] – As I was putting this post up on Maxsons.org, this one had formatting issues.  When I went to the link I had for Will Shin's blog, I realized that I missrepresented Will's position.  He was simply quoting Wade Burleson…he was not taking the position 

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