About this episode

The episode discusses who should perform baptisms in the church, featuring insights from church elders on their theological discussions.

For several years, the elders of NorthWoods Church have wrestled with a question that many churches are now facing: Who should perform baptisms? Can a parent baptize their child? Should a close friend, mentor, or family member be allowed to baptize someone, or should baptisms remain the responsibility of pastors and elders? In this candid conversation, Pastor Bobby Pell sits down with elders Eric Gobin and Dan King to pull back the curtain on a three-year theological discussion that took place behind the scenes. Together they walk through the biblical arguments, the passages that shaped their thinking, and the process the elder team used to arrive at a decision. More importantly, this episode offers a rare glimpse into healthy church leadership. You'll hear how faithful Christians can disagree on secondary issues, search the Scriptures together, and ultimately maintain unity around the gospel.

People in this episode

Host: Bobby Pell

Guests: Eric Gobin, Dan King

Topics covered

• baptism
• church leadership
• theology
• Christian unity
• biblical arguments

Keywords

• baptism
• church elders
• theological discussion
• Christianity
• faith
• unity
• scripture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NorthWoods Church

More episodes of NorthWoods Church Matters

• Ep 275 | Meet our New Discipleship Pastor · July 16, 2026 · 34 min
• Ep 274 | The Impact of a prayerful Invite to VBS · July 14, 2026 · 31 min
• Ep 272 | Following Up on the SBC Annual Meeting · June 17, 2026 · 32 min
• Ep 271 | Meet the Elders (Carey Bockting, Ivan Mcdonald, and James Sanders) · June 15, 2026 · 43 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the NorthWoods Church Matters podcast page.