Expert: Rev. Stuart Woodward - 5/1/2009

Question
QUESTION: Do you need to be baptized by a ordained minister or can a deacon or other person in the church do the baptism?

ANSWER: Hello Mark,
Thank you for your question. The bible nowhere specifies who should do the baptising. Philip who was one of the seven 'deacons' appointed in Acts 6 baptised the Ethiopian eunuch. My own view is that any Christian can baptise another. However, a local church or denomination may well have rules about 'best practice' for the sake of decency and order and so they may choose to create guidelines about who should or should not baptise. So if a person was choosing to baptised by someone else in order to ignore the authority of the local church and its leadership then the spirit with which that person approached baptism would not be the best.
However, as I see it, the short answer to you question is that any Christian can baptise another.
I hope this answer is helpful.
God bless you.
Stuart Woodward

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Do you know what southern baptist believe on this matter?

Answer
Hello Mark,
I doubt whether Southern Baptists have a defined policy. I expect some local churches will. However, as I am a Pastor in England where the situation is quite different I am probably not the best one to answer this question. You could try one of the others on the list. I am sorry that I cannot be of more help.
Stuart Woodward