The following article was posted by Ben Stratton of the Landmark Southern Baptist Grouplist:

Practical Ramifications of Receiving Alien Immersion

by Van Harness, Pastor, West Side Baptist Church, Greers Ferry, Arkansas

In the preceding sections Dr. W.T. Conner, a notable past Arkansas theologian and Dr. Jimmy Millikin, a present Arkansas theologian, have given the theologian’s reasons for rejecting alien immersion. Chris Hackler has given the historical precedent for rejecting alien immersion. There is one more category that should be considered. What will be the practical ramifications to us if we receive alien immersion?

1. The ease of transferring membership to and from Arkansas Southern Baptist churches will be forever lost. No longer can it be assumed Scriptural baptism has occurred.

2. Great confusion, lack of order and insult to people will occur when some Arkansas Southern Baptist churches will receive them without baptism and others will not.

3. Our practice of not allowing alien immersion from 1848-1968 by common consent and from 1968-present by bylaw requirement will mark a profound doctrinal change from our 159 years heritage. Are we better equipped to make this doctrinal assessment than our previous generations of Baptist theologians? I think not! I think those of us with some grey in our hair and years under our belts best not entrust our doctrinal heritage so easily with this wave of unproven leadership especially when it comes to our Baptist Doctrinal Distinctive. We need to step back and ask, “What are we doing and why are we doing it?”

4. For us Scriptural baptism has always been the entrance into the local church and the stop-gate for those seeking entrance from denominations that are unscriptural in some basic doctrines especially salvation and baptism itself. To change the stop-gate to a flood gate will in time flood churches with many strange doctrines that will eat away at our doctrinal roots bringing doctrinal battles and turbulent times to many churches. It will be said that other state conventions do not have bylaw restrictions concerning this. We’ve been spared many battles others have fought because our restrictions on alien immersion have kept us more doctrinally pure.

5. It puts our convention in contrast to our International Mission Board which requires all candidates whose baptism was not authorized by a church believing eternal security to present themselves to a Southern Baptist church for baptism before they are appointed as missionaries. If our IMB can do this surely the ABSC can maintain our present guideline with its members concerning baptism.

6. We all believe in the autonomy of the local church. However, the churches look to our convention for leadership and guidance in numerous areas. As important as baptism is, guidance should be there. Our very name “Baptist” identifies the most important significance and influence among our churches. Our convention leadership, until recently, has honored this guidance and protection of this cherished doctrine. If our churches can’t depend on this guidance and protection many will lose their confidence and feel abandoned. Their support and future commitment and loyalty to the convention will greatly suffer.

7. One of the reasons our Lord Jesus was baptized at the beginning of his earthly ministry was to provide an example to future believers. Scripture says (Matthew 3:15) it was to “fulfill all righteousness” . If we allow alien immersion many coming into our churches will have never been properly baptized. The righteousness that the Lord wanted fulfilled in their lives will be missing. We may be successful in changing their unscriptural doctrines but the very first act of a new Christian’s walk with the Lord will be unfulfilled. 1 Peter 3:21 indicates “baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God” with the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord being symbolized. The conscience of believers with alien immersion will have a missing answer in their lives. This missing ordinance will hamper their entire life of service to the Lord. We need to make sure this does not happen.

This list has been some practical ramifications if the alien immersion clause is removed from our constitution. However, as this paper reveals throughout its content for many of us this is a heartfelt doctrinal issue. It likewise, has been for our previous generations since it is a constitutional bylaw requiring 2/3 votes for two consecutive years. They did not want it removed easily. We implore that we not abandon this historical doctrinal root that has been an Arkansas Baptist distinctive in our convention. We urge you to vote no to the proposed constitutional change. Please feel free to forward this paper to others. You may also print and pass this paper out to others in your church.

(The above article was sent to many Arkansas Southern Baptist pastors in the weeks before the 2007 annual meeting of the Arkansas State Baptist Convention. Thankfully the motion to change the bylaws of the ASBC was defeated. Yet every Baptist needs to read these seven points and understand what happens when Southern Baptist churches receive alien immersion.)

If we Baptists are not careful with our beliefs, and do not stop just accepting all the world throws at us, there will be no distinctive which has set us apart from others.  Correct baptism is a vital need for Southern Baptists