“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19
This blog might challenge you, maybe it will challenge what you believe or have always been taught, and that is not a bad thing. The content of this blog challenged me. It challenged my doctrine and theology. It challenged pretty much everything I have ever been taught, but the revelations written about in this blog came directly from God.
This verse, Mathew 28:19, was spoken over me and prayed over me a lot while preparations were being made to send me on the World Race and I was being commissioned. However, it was only the first half of this verse. No one ever mentioned the second half of this verse while they were sending me. Probably because among many denominations of Christianity, women are not allowed to serve in many roles in the church, one of which is baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This is what I have been taught and thought to be true my whole life, even prior to giving my life to Christ. However this past week, this belief of mine was challenged.
After two of my squad mates taught the older kids at the care point we work at about salvation and baptism, there were 16 students who gave their life to Christ and wanted to be baptized. Our squad was then put in the position to assist in the baptizing of these students. After many conversations in our squad about who feels led to assist baptizing, how it would all work, and all the logistics involved, I was satisfied with my predetermined and self appointed role of interceding for the students being baptized.
The night before we were planning to baptize, I began to feel a strong conviction. The conviction the Lord gave me was to do my own digging about what God says about women baptizing as several of the women on our squad felt led to assist in baptizing. I mean I knew what I had always been taught, but I didn’t know what I believed and what the Lord said. I decided that I need to do an all night prayer burn and ask the Lord what He intended for me and my role in Baptism. After hours of prayer and research, the Lord told me to read the Great Commission. I was reluctant to actually flip to that verse, because I have heard it a million times being commissioned and serving as a missionary. I mean every church, ministry, and organization I have worked with or been part of over the last four years of my life has sent me with this verse in their commissioning.
After actually reading the whole verse, in that moment, the Lord very clearly revealed to me that if the first half of that verse can be applied to me and my ministry, then so can the second part. Not only can this verse be applied to my ministry, it is a command of my life. Since the moment I gave my life to Christ I became a disciple of Jesus Christ and this has been the command on my life. The command is clear “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
Honestly, lately the Lord has been teaching me about abandoning religion and man made doctrine and following His teachings. Don’t misunderstand, I am not saying at all that I have been taught wrong or that the people who have taught me are poor teachers. I am extremely blessed to be taught by the people who teach me and send me, but as great as my worldly teachers are, Jesus is a far better teacher. Since being on the Race God has asked me to let Him be my teacher. He has asked me to allow Him the space to be the highest teacher in my life, when I am confused- call upon Him and His understanding, not the understanding of a commentary or man.
After this revelation, I decided that if the Spirit ever leads me to baptize someone it would not be dishonoring.
On Friday, May 10 2024, I assisted a local pastor in the baptizing of a young girl at the Care point my squad and I work at. It was one of the coolest moments in my walk with Christ. I felt great peace about assisting that pastor, I did not feel any conviction, and this obedience to the Lord’s command on my life opened the space for other local female Spiritual leaders in the room to assist in the baptizing of the other young women. In that moment, the girls watching saw something, they saw that they have a place in the body of Christ. They saw that they have authority in Christ. So, I don’t make apologies for following this conviction and push from the Holy Spirit.
Not only was the actual act of baptizing someone an act of uncomfortable obedience, but so is this blog. I have not wanted to post this blog or share about this incredible day because of the fear of man and judgement. Not everyone who reads this will agree with what I have done, and may even disagree to the point of rejecting me and my ministry, however I do not think God is disappointed by my partaking in baptizing. I actually think He is in Heaven rejoicing about the soul that was saved and the public declaration that was made.
You may not believe that my assisting in this baptism was correct, it may even ruffle your feathers a bit, but I encourage you to ask the Lord to reveal to you what He says about women’s role baptizing. I am certainly open to conversations about this. I may not have all of the answers, but my God does and I trust that He will be in our conversation.
