Bilaga 2. Biskopsrådets brev

THE COMMITTEE ON LAW AND ADMINISTRATION beg leave to present the following report; in reply to the request of the District Superintendents of the Sweden Annual Conference for a ruling on the following questions viz.: 1. Does the Methodist Episcopal Church permit her members and ministers to regard as valid both children’s baptism and rebaptism and practice one of them or both according to their own judgment? 2. Does the Church count those who do not baptize their children as members in good standing? 3. Is it possible for the Church to retain a minister in active service, who, through rebaptizing himself, shows that he does not regard the baptism which he fulfilled at childhood as due and satisfying? 4. Canthe Churchexpect that a minister who has received rebaptism will fulfill his pastoral duties with regard to the teachings of the children as to the nature of baptism and its aim in full accordance with her standards of doctrine? 1. Inasmuch as the Methodist Episcopal Church holds »that all children by virtue of the unconditional benefits of the Atonement, are members of the Kingdom of God, and therefore graciously entitled to Baptism«, we urge all members of the Church who are parents or guardians to present their children for Baptism and to »use all diligence in bringing them up in conformity to the Word of God.« 2. By paragraph 17 of the Discipline, we are reminded that the baptism of young children is to be retained in the Church; therefore it is valid. For a minister to deny or question the validity of infant baptism would be a violation of the spirit of the doctrine and discipline of the church. 3. A minister may not refuse to administer baptism by one of the three modes which the Church recognized as valid and which the Candidate may select as his preference. 4. A minister may not remain in good standing among us who teaches the invalidity of infant baptism or denies the validity of any one of the three modes of baptism (viz., sprinkling, pouring, or immersion,) recognized by the Church as valid. 5. It is for the Annual Conference to determine whether or not a member thereof fulfills his pastoral duties in the teaching, by precept or example, of the doctrines and the administering of the discipline of the Church.

L. B. WILSON. Secretary of theBoard of Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church. (01 A141

MKA)