The Reformed doctrine of infant baptism is a stumbling block for many evangelical Christians who are otherwise attracted to joining a Reformed church. But the Reformed face not only the doctrinal challenge of defending the biblical rationale for our practice but also a communication challenge. Many people from other backgrounds don’t understand exactly what we mean by the language of infant baptism.
For the Reformed, “infant baptism” generally refers to the baptism of underage or minor children. Longtime members of Reformed churches are accustomed to seeing a husband and wife join the church and having several of their young children, of various ages, baptized. But in colloquial English the word “infant” refers to babies. Some Christians, understandably, assume that the Reformed baptize only babies and not other children. Several times in my ministry puzzled people have asked me about this: What do the Reformed think about children too old to be baptized but too young to make a profession of faith?
There’s nothing wrong with Reformed Christians referring to “infant” baptism, terminology deeply rooted in our tradition. But we should be aware of the potential for misunderstanding and be prepared to explain why we baptize our older underage children as well as our babies, as occasion demands. Read more»
David VanDrunen | “What Exactly Does Infant Baptism Mean?” | New Horizons January, 2026.
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