Since my pastoral practice is to include both a personal testimony and an expression of the faith once for all entrusted to the saints, I follow a structure in which the baptismal candidate is asked a series of questions related to essential doctrinal truths of the Christian faith. These questions are asked after the person has shared a personal profession of faith, a testimony.

Below is a copy of what I use, which I have adapted from other Christian traditions.

Baptismal Questions and Answers

Question: Do you renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the fleshly desires of the flesh, so that you will not follow, nor be led by them?

Answer: I renounce them all.

Question: Do you believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth? And in Jesus Christ his only-begotten Son our Lord? And that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary; that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; that he did rise again the third day; that he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and from there he shall come again at the end of the world, to judge the living and the dead?

And do you believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints; the forgiveness of sins; the Resurrection of the body; and everlasting life after death?

Answer: All this I steadfastly and whole-heartedly believe and profess.

Question: Will you be baptized in this faith once for all entrusted to the saints?

Answer: That is my obedient desire.

Question: Do you acknowledge that this step of obedience is an outward sign of a prior inward cleansing, the time at which you believed and received Jesus Christ, and that it is not water than saves you but faith in Jesus Christ alone?

Answer: I do so acknowledge faith in Christ alone and His praise Him for my prior cleansing.

Question: Do you confess today that you are publicly identifying yourself with Christ in His death - to the past, to sin and to self, burial – denoting a total break with the past, and resurrection – to new life; and that you publicly declare faith in Christ and of permanent allegiance to Him in obedience to Him?

Answer: I do so publicly identify with Christ and declare my lifelong allegiance to Him.

Question: Will you then obediently keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in them all the days of your life?

Answer: By God’s grace and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, I will seek to do so.

It gives me great joy to baptize you in the Name of Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.