Yes, baptism is the act of initiation and incorporation into the universal church of Jesus Christ, The United Methodist Church, and the local congregation, regardless of age.
All people who are baptized become baptized members. Those who are baptized at an age at which they are capable of professing their faith become professing members as well. Those baptized as infants or young children do not become professing members until they are able to profess their own faith.
By Water and The Spirit, our statement on baptism, explains, "Just as infants are members of their human families, but are unable to participate in all aspects of family life, so baptized infants are members of the Church—the family of faith—but are not yet capable of sharing everything involved in membership."
Learn more about baptism:
Renewing waters: How United Methodists understand baptism
This is Your Baptismal Liturgy
FAQs About Baptism, Membership, and Salvation
This content was produced by Ask The UMC, a ministry of United Methodist Communications.
