“Pop-up baptism” is a new concept to integrate people into the church in an uncomplicated and fast way. The quasi “baptism to go” is apparently intended to quickly and easily integrate the “determined” into the community.
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Get baptized quickly
“Baptism to Go” could be called a concept of the evangelical church, which aims to be baptized quickly, almost in passing, and on the spot. Since “baptism to go” doesn’t sound much better than “coffee to go” or “cheesburger to go”, the term “pop-up baptism” was probably agreed upon.
Offers of a “quick baptism”
For example, the Marienkirche in “Berlin-Mitte” offers a pop-up baptism once a month for those who are determined. Come by, say hello and get “baptized”. The term “pop-up” means something like “appear”, “stretch up”, or “shoot up”. Christian Stäblein, Bishop of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia, believes he knows the connection between “pop-up” and baptism. For him there really is nothing “so pop-up in life as baptism”.
Pop-up is is not baptista
However, this “pop-up” does not have very much to do with actual gospel baptism, as does ordinary baptism in the evangelical and catholic churches. Whether as an infant, toddler or adult, you only get a few drops of water on your head or just on your forehead with the “pop-up baptism”. If you look at the basic text of the Bible, you will find the Greek word “baptista” (“βαπτισμα”) behind the word “baptism”. This word describes the state after emergence. In the case of baptism after emerging from the water, after complete immersion. John the Baptist and the disciples only baptized by complete immersion and not by “splashing” a few drops.
True baptism symbolizes Christ’s death and resurrection
With baptism, the person being baptized makes a public commitment to Jesus Christ. Biblical baptism symbolizes Christ’s death (immersion) and resurrection or rebirth in Jesus Christ (emergence). This extremely important process of (spiritual) rebirth cannot possibly be represented by a few splashes of water on the head or forehead (more Info).
More of a business idea
Anyone who seriously deals with the gospel, takes it to heart and does not consider the ideas of some of the church fathers at face value will not even think of exposing themselves to such a pseudo-baptism. Especially not according to the “baptism to go” principle. The fact that the Catholic and Protestant churches are not seriously concerned with the gospel, but rather with maintaining some tradition, can be seen from the bishop’s strange explanation of “pop-up baptism”. The churches are running away from the members and thus also from the church taxpayers. A “baptism to go” appears here more as a business idea than a serious desire to bring the gospel to men and women.
