Introducing myself - hello from Germany

[Kai Steppan]

Hello everyone,

my name is Kai and i`m from Germany, so i hope you will forgive me possible mistakes while i`m using English.
Usually we are just learning a more formal version in school, compared to the american styles ^^

Anyway.

Maybe you would like to know a little about me and why i registered at your forum.

Currently i`m studying evangelical theology at the University of Hamburg, my dream is to become a christian minister. Not necessary one of the evangelical major churches in Germany, i`ve got a few reasons for being sceptical towards their theology and way of dealing with modern status of christianity in Germany...

Well, i started with studying to become a teacher at first, for the subjects German and Religion, but later i felt something like a "call" to deal only with religious things (i hope that does not sounds funny or crazy, with "call"... ^^ ).
I`m feeling literally that it is right for me to live with god, explore his and follow his will and teach and preach to believe in god and i`m very happy with that.

The reason i registered at this forum is that in march of the current year i had my first "bigger exam" at university and the topic i chose for my exam was the history of the baptists.
More the general history, not every detail, for there was only quiet limited time in our lecture in the summer term.
I already knew a few things about baptism (i hope that is the correct term for the "whole" denomination, i know there`s no big church for all like the catholic church), because last year i visited Sweden and learned a lot about different christian denominations.

And while preparing myself for my exam and dealing with the history of baptism and baptist theology i developed the feeling of great positive sympathy to the values one consider as "baptist".
Also i feel very appealed to the baptist approach to the bible and god.

Yeah and so finally i registered at these forum and i hope i will learn more about your denomination(s), for i already learned that especially in USA the baptist denomination developed and spread out to the whole world and is very vivid.

I`m happy to read interesting explanations about these approach and personal approaches to bible and god by you.
Also of course you can ask me how i believe in god and what my opinions are to different topic

All the best,

Kai

[Haruo]

Welcome! Willkommen in BaptistLife, Kai.

[Haruo]

One usage note. Your use of ”call” is fine, most Baptist pastors report having some sense of God ”calling” them to a special kind of discipleship and/or ministry, which has then been authenticated by a congregation calling them and ordaining them to that ministry.

But your use of ”baptism” to refer to our religious movement is problematical, since we use the word 'baptism' to refer to the act of baptizing and/or being baptized. For most Baptists this act is something one chooses to have done as an adolescent or adult, rather than something done to one in infancy. For the denominational grouping I would suggest using 'the Baptists' or even 'most Baptists,' since there is such diversity of opinion and practice among us. I hope you will ask a few of the questions you'd like to see us try to answer. Since most of us here are in the US, we tend to get wrapped up in questions of secular politics and global warming and the like.

[Ed Pettibone]

Hello Kia, Welcome!

I look forward to your participation here on the Baptist life website.

I second what Hauro said, however I will add that most of we Baptists go a bit further in defining the act of baptism as being totally immersed under water as a symbol of dying to our old life of sin and being raised to a new life in Christ. Many Baptist churches in this country including the one where my wife is pastor, will however accept individuals from churches that practice different forms of what they call baptism, such as sprinkling or pouring water on the head rather than immersion.

[Kai Steppan]

Aha, thanks you two!

Already learned something new, i will try to remember how to use the terms correct.

The complete immersion is an old question, right? I remember i`ve read about it when i learned for my exam.
As far as i know it is based on the acts of John the Baptist, right? When he baptized people, and Jesus, in the Jordan River.
It really does make a lot of sense to me to being totally immersed under water and also the meanings in this act.

Actually it is the only explicit description of baptizing in the New Testament?

[Bruce Gourley]

Hi Kai, and welcome to the forums. I think you'll find a trove of reading in the posts herein, for which you will find the search feature most handy.

- Bruce

[Haruo]

[Tim Bonney]

Welcome Kai. I'm not a Baptist now but I was a Baptist minister for over 20 years.

There are a lot of us that would be happy to answer questions. Bruce and Haruo are great resources among others!

[Dave Roberts]

Welcome, Kai, oder Willkomen. Ich spreche nur ein bischen Deutsch. We are glad to have you here and hope you find this group both informative and entertaining.