Ordinances do not bring salvation, but they are meaningful expressions of faith that point to the saving work of Jesus Christ. Through these acts, believers publicly identify with Christ, remember His sacrifice, and proclaim the message of the Gospel.

Why Baptists Call Them “Ordinances” and Not “Sacraments”
In many Christian traditions these practices are called sacraments, which sometimes carry the idea that participating in them helps convey or produce saving grace. Missionary Baptists use the word ordinances because we believe these practices were ordained or commanded by Jesus Christ for His church to observe. They are sacred acts of obedience that symbolize the grace believers have already received through faith in Christ.

In other words, we believe salvation comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, not through any ceremony or ritual. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are therefore powerful symbols and testimonies of the Gospel, reminding us of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and strengthening our faith as we follow Him.

Each ordinance points us back to the saving work of Jesus Christ and helps us remember the foundation of our faith.

Baptism is the public declaration of a person’s faith in Jesus Christ. It is the act of being immersed in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit after one has personally trusted Christ as Savior and Lord. Baptism does not save a person. Salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. However, baptism is an important step of obedience for every believer and serves as an outward testimony of the inward change that God has already accomplished in the heart.

In baptism, the believer is completely immersed in water, symbolizing several important spiritual truths. It represents the believer’s identification with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. When a person is lowered into the water, it symbolizes dying to sin and the old life. When they are raised from the water, it symbolizes being raised to walk in new life through Christ.

Baptism also serves as a public witness to others. It declares to the church and the world that the individual has placed their faith in Jesus Christ and has become a follower of Him. For this reason, baptism has always been an important moment of celebration in the life of the church.

Scripture references:
Matthew 28:19–20
Acts 2:41
Romans 6:3–4

The Lord’s Supper, also called Communion, is the sacred observance in which believers gather to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

During this ordinance, the church partakes of bread and the cup. The bread symbolizes the body of Christ that was given for us, and the cup represents His blood that was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. These elements are symbols that remind us of Christ’s sacrifice and the great love God demonstrated through Him.
When believers participate in the Lord’s Supper, they are called to reflect on the meaning of Christ’s death and examine their own hearts. It is a time for gratitude, repentance, renewal, and remembrance of the price that was paid for our salvation.

The Lord’s Supper also reminds us of the unity of the body of Christ. As believers share in this ordinance together, it expresses our fellowship with Christ and with one another as members of His church.
Additionally, this ordinance points us forward to the future. Each time the church observes the Lord’s Supper, we remember Christ’s sacrifice while also looking forward to the day when He will return.

Scripture references:
Luke 22:19–20
1 Corinthians 11:23–26