For many Christians, the question “Did my baptism count?” is more than theological curiosity—it’s deeply personal. I’ve wrestled with it myself. At the heart of the question lies a desire to honour the significance of baptism and a concern that, for one reason or another, our baptism might not have been “valid.”
Let’s explore why this question arises and how, from a Reformed pastoral perspective, we can find clarity and assurance about what constitutes a valid baptism.
Why People Wonder About the Validity of Their Baptism
Most concerns about baptism tend to center around one of three areas:
- The person who administered it
- The way the baptism was performed
- The spiritual state of the person being baptized
1. Concerns About the Baptizer
Historically, some believed the legitimacy of a baptism depended on the spiritual integrity of the person performing it. In the 4th century, the Donatists argued that those baptized by leaders who had renounced their faith during persecution needed to be baptized again. But figures like Augustine pushed back, emphasizing that the power of baptism comes not from the baptizer, but from God.
Today, people may not ask if their baptism is void because their pastor later left the faith, but they may wonder if being baptized in a certain denomination—particularly one they now disagree with—invalidates it. For example, many ask, “Does my baptism in the Catholic Church still count?”
2. Concerns About the Method
Another common worry: was it done the “right” way? For instance, some churches insist on a precise wording during baptism. A well-known example involves a Catholic priest who used “We baptize you…” instead of “I baptize you…”, leading the Vatican to declare those baptisms invalid.
Others question whether the mode of baptism matters—does it need to be full immersion? What if I was sprinkled or poured over?
3. Concerns About the Baptized Person
By far the most frequent concern I hear is this: Was I ready? Did I really believe? This is especially common among those baptized as children or those who experienced faith renewal later in life. The Reformation brought these questions into sharp focus with the rise of the Anabaptist movement, which taught that baptism must follow a personal confession of faith—excluding infant baptism from being valid in their view.
Many churches today share this belief, and some add that baptism must also be by immersion. But this can create further uncertainty: If I was baptized young or before fully grasping the gospel, was it real? And if I doubted later, do I need to be baptized again?
A Reformed Perspective: What Makes Baptism Valid?
My own reflections on baptism have been shaped by Scripture and the testimony of church history. Here’s how I would respond to those three concerns:
1. Who Performed the Baptism?
The spiritual condition of the minister doesn’t determine the baptism’s validity. If the person baptizing acted in obedience to Jesus’ command—to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19)—then we trust God’s promise, not human performance.
Even if a church has drifted in its doctrine, the baptism itself can remain valid if it was Trinitarian and done as a sacrament of Christ. However, I would not consider baptisms performed by groups that reject the Trinity (e.g., Mormonism) to be valid Christian baptisms, as they do not follow Christ’s command in the biblical sense.
2. How Was the Baptism Done?
Baptism must involve water and be done in the Triune name, but the method—immersion, pouring, or sprinkling—does not invalidate it. The New Testament uses a variety of imagery around baptism, and Scripture is full of cleansing imagery that involves sprinkling (Ezek. 36:25; Heb. 10:22).
Even Romans 6, often cited to support immersion, uses the metaphor of burial—but in Jesus’ context, burial didn’t mean being placed underground. He was laid in a tomb. The early church practiced baptism in different ways, and we should be cautious about limiting valid baptism to one method alone.
3. Did the Baptized Person Truly Believe?
The heart of this concern is sincerity: Was my faith genuine? But how can we ever measure that perfectly—especially in children or even in ourselves at an earlier time?
From a covenantal perspective, Scripture supports the baptism of believers and their children (Acts 2:39; 16:15, 33; 1 Cor. 1:16). The Old Testament practice of circumcision—administered to infants as a sign of belonging to God—finds its New Testament counterpart in baptism.
And children can have genuine faith, even if they don’t express it like adults do. John the Baptist leapt in the womb when Mary greeted his mother (Luke 1:41), and Jesus welcomed children with open arms (Luke 18:15–17).
Martin Luther once said the issue isn’t whether you had faith at the moment of baptism, but whether you trust in Christ now. Baptism isn’t a magical ritual, but it is a sacrament—God’s promise sealed in water. If you now believe, then look back on your baptism not as a question mark, but as God’s marker of grace in your life.
So… Does My Baptism Count?
Yes—if you were baptized with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in obedience to Christ’s command, then your baptism counts.
It is not the depth of your feelings at the time or the perfection of the minister’s faith that makes it valid. It is the faithfulness of God and His Word. And rather than re-baptizing when doubts arise, we should be encouraged by the Belgic Confession’s reminder that “baptism is profitable not only when the water is on us…but throughout our entire lives.”
What Baptism Truly Means
Let’s not miss the beauty of what baptism signifies. It’s not just our declaration—it’s primarily God’s action. Baptism proclaims our union with Christ, our cleansing from sin, our adoption into the family of God, and our hope in the resurrection. It is a tangible reminder of invisible grace.
In the end, baptism points us not to ourselves, but to Jesus—the One who saves, the One who marks us as His own, and the One in whom our faith ultimately rests.