Equipping Parents and Children with a Biblical Theology of Conversion Prior to Baptism at Mambrino Baptist Church in Granbury, TX

Abstract

EQUIPPING PARENTS AND CHILDREN WITH A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF CONVERSION PRIOR TO BAPTISM AT MAMBRINO BAPTIST CHURCH

IN GRANBURY, TX

Joseph Paul Duncan, D. Min.

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2018

Dr. William F. Cook

The aim of this project was to equip parents and children with a biblical theology of conversion prior to baptism at Mambrino Baptist Church (MBC). This goal was accomplished by writing a baptism preparation curriculum for children. Parents were trained be trained by a pastor to use the curriculum, then the parents took their children through the curriculum. Before and after using the curriculum, pastors conducted interviews with the parents and children to determine the readiness of the children for baptism.

Chapter 1 introduces the ministry context of MBC, along with the rationale, purpose, goals, research methodologies, definitions, and delimitations of the project. Chapter 2 provides the biblical and theological basis for requiring conversion prior to baptism. Foundational to the design of the baptism curriculum are six biblical passages: 1 Corinthians 15:1–5; John 3:1–21; Matthew 28:18–20; Romans 6:1–4; Acts 8:26–38 and 16:11–15. Together, these passages serve as the basis for a biblical understanding of conversion prior to baptism. Chapter 3 addresses what it means to test yourself to see if you are in the faith, the role of parents, the role of pastors, and provides a survey of available baptism curriculum demonstrating the need to write a new curriculum. Chapter 4 details the curriculum and implementation. Chapter 5 concludes with an overall evaluation of the project, and suggestions for improvement and further development.