Originally Posted by Shaw

Why the delay? Where did this practice come from? It certainly did not come from the New Testament. Christians began delaying baptisms over time, and this is one reason why baptism came to be de-emphasized in many traditions. For some it became a once-a-year event on Easter or Pentecost Sunday (and what a pageant it was!). But we jettisoned these traditional forms one hundred years ago, so why are some returning to where we came from? It is likely that this practice has been borrowed from scores of contemporary Evangelical churches who do not believe baptism is essential for salvation, but is only an outward symbol. This is one of the dangers of following non-Apostolic church templates.