Patricia Beach baptism

A Moment from Yesterday



Malcolm and Esther Wenger moved to the town of Selkirk, Man., in 1979. Malcolm worked for the Conference of Mennonites in Canada’s Native Ministries program and pastored the small Selkirk Christian Fellowship. Pictured, Malcolm baptizes Gillian Thororanson at Patricia Beach, Man., on July 22, 1979. There have been fierce debates in Mennonite circles about the correct form of baptism over the centuries. Malcolm uses the method of pouring while standing in a lake. Gillian will have been wet from head to toe after his baptism without being immersed.

For more historical photos in the Mennonite Archival Image Database (MAID), see https://archives.mhsc.ca/



One response to “Patricia Beach baptism”

  1. Evelyn Wake Avatar
    Evelyn Wake

    Methods of baptism
    How do you baptize somebody in a situation where there is a drought, and people barely have enough water to drink, let alone have a baptism by immersion, or use enough water to pour on someone? It seems to me that a loving God accepts any method of baptism where the person seeking it is sincere in wishing to be a member of God’s family and follow the teachings of Jesus.

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