Multiple Bapstism

unclebruce

Anyone here been twice dunked? Thrice dunked?

It's unlikely any of you sane people here were baptised more than once but I knew a few who were. I was from an old congregation established in Russell's day so was quite surprised when coming across this in one of the 'less spiritual' congregations in the outer suburbs North of Adelaide, South Australia (yes some congregations are more more spiritual than others, topic for another thread).

One brother I knew seemed to get baptised anually. I witnessed his dunking twice in the three years I was at Elizabeth East Congregation and apparently he'd been dunked twice before that. I also witnessed a sister there join the ranks of the double dunked. So while many here would love to have their baptism annulled, some super spiritual and super guilt ridden types are double and triple dipping at the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society's font of forgiveness and dedication.

Anyone else heard of this or am I alone here in experiencing Jehovah's dunked again Witnesses?

Nick!

I don’t understand how is that possible at all!

To be sitting in the first rows of the baptism ceremony, and actually be baptized and announced as such at the next meeting in the congregation, one must first undergo the 120 odd questions reviewed with one of the elders assigned to the investigation, and only if “fit” accepted as a candidate.
Obviously, if anyone had no reason to be re-baptized (see my other post on this), no body of elders in their sane mind (do they have one after all?) would ever accept to go annually through that process and even less allow the person to be actually re-baptized!
And even if one would squeeze in the line of the candidates moving on to the baptism water and actually be baptized again, this would remain a psychotic behavior not supported by the Organization., and therefore not recognized.
One could actually travel around and get baptized this way in each different assembly in the country, as at the moment of the immersion, the person who performs the baptism does not ask for a “certificate from the congregation elders”, not even asking for the name of the guy.
In this way one can get baptized even several times a year!

Maybe you want to elaborate on how the case you are reporting has been dealt with by the elders of the congregation who accepts such a behavior.

Thanks.

asilentone

I remember reading one profile someone got dunked twice, I forgot that person's screen name, let me think.

LouBelle

I know some witnesses have said they felt that they didn't dedicate their hearts to Jehovah the first time around, and now that they were truly dedicated to him felt that they should 'renew' their baptism. My aunt wanted to do it, but she went 'cold' again, so didn't follwo through.

asilentone

Now I remember, it is Merfi, for some reason she edited her profile.

unclebruce

Hi Nick!,

I think you hit the nail on the head when you wrote:

Obviously, if anyone had no reason to be re-baptized (see my other post on this), no body of elders in their sane mind (do they have one after all?) would ever accept to go annually through that process and even less allow the person to be actually re-baptized!

The PO in that congregation was a somewhat bizzare fellow named Keith Krieger. Small rural congregations often develop unusual habits and look with suspicion on outsiders (shocked by it as I was at the time, I can relate much weirder tales than multiple baptism).

How I became aware of it was that, whilst witnessing the baptisms at Ridgehaven Assembly Hall (in Adelaide's north eastern suburbs) I noticed this brother (can't think of his name at the mo) in line to be dunked. Keith's son Ashley (a fellow pioneer and ministerial servant) was standing next to me and I asked the dub equivalent of wtf's going on? Ashly laughed, said it was alright and explained the history. Apparently this brother kept re-presenting to Keith with a guilty conscience over something or other and Keith had him "re-do the questions" in prep for a re-dunk. At the time I joked he was just doing it for the applause (this never went down well with him or his supporters who gushed and love bombed like they'd done time and time before). Another strange tale but true from the congregation the Watchtower forgot.

Decided

I got dunked twice. I was 6 or 7 years old the first time and was baptized by my dad in a creek. I wish I could remember where the creek was. When I was in my 20s I got dunked again at an assembly back in the early 60s or late 50s.

Ken P.

unclebruce

Jesus Ken you're a discrace to the JW race .. fancy not remembering the dates of your baptisims, the most important days of our lives! Shame on you! And don't give me the altzheimers excuse ..

uncle once dunked bruce

dunked in an above ground plastic pool on 21st/October/1972 (I was 15 and remember looking up, wondering if a dove would appear).

lisavegas420

I got dunked twice. The first time my foot flew up and they said I had to be dunked again.

Also my mom got dunked twice. This first time at age 14-15 or so...then again in her late 20's early 30's. I didn't think much about it at the time because I was only about 9. But now as an adult, I think back about it, I'm sure she got dunked the second time because she fornacated or something with my dad before they got married.

lisa

Mrs. Fiorini

I knew a woman who was raised a JW and baptized as a young child. When she grew up she married a non-JW and lived a totally "worldly" life, celebrating holidays, joining another church, etc. Many years later, after her children had grown, she became a JW again. The elders decided she should be rebaptized because, obviously, the first one didn't take.

Sadly, her adult children and grandchildren joined the WT, too. One of her daughters is married to my brother. Even with this experience in their family, they still refuse to have anything to do with me since I left. I find this somewhat hypocritical on their part.

Multiple Bapstism

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