Every evangelist knows the great value of being able to baptize converts from time to time during an evangelistic effort, in the same place in which he presents the truth to the public. Every baptism that is conducted before his regular audience beccimes the means of inducing additional interested persons to decide for God. Oftentimes the expense of installing a baptistry in the evangelistic tent or tabernacle is considered to be prohibitive. But there is a plan under which every tent and tabernacle can now be supplied with this necessary item, at very small expenditure.
In my last two tabernacle efforts, I made use of a canvas baptistry which was secured from the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills of Atlanta. The cost for the baptistry and installation was very reasonable. This type of baptistry is portable, and can be used repeatedly in different tents or tabernacles. In the first effort we used a baptistry four feet six inches wide, six feet six inches long, and four feet deep. It was installed in a wooden frame under the platform, and fastened with a strip around the top of the wooden frame. Steps eighteen inches wide were placed at one corner. Permission was secured to attach a hose to a neighbor's spigot to fill the baptistry, and after each baptism the tank was drained by using the hose as a syphon. In this way baptism can be held in the tabernacle without entailing any expense for installing water pipes or sewer connections.
If it is desired to warm the water, an inexpensive coil can be installed in an open furnace just at the rear of the tabernacle. For five of my baptisms the water was warmed by this method at a total cost of only four dollars. In some cities the sanitary regulations would not permit emptying- such a baptistry by syphon on the surface of the ground. In that case, the water can usually be run directly into the sewer.
In the second effort we used a canvas baptistry six feet wide, seven feet six inches long, and four feet deep. The water was piped to it, and the drain was connected with the sewer. In this large-sized canvas baptistry, eighteen-inch steps were installed in each rear corner, to be used by the men and women candidates who entered the pool from their respective rooms on either side of the rostrum. The accompanying diagram will show how to construct these steps so that they will always stay in place during the baptism.
There are four points to observe in the use of the canvas baptistry: 1. A strong box frame must be made of two-by-four timbers, with one-inch boards of the same size as the canvas baptistry, and four inches deeper than the canvas. The bottom of this box rests on the ground under the platform. The canvas baptistry is placed in this box when baptism is to be conducted. A portable lid is constructed to cover the baptistry when not in use.
2. The canvas must be removed after each baptism, and placed in the sun to dry. It may then be folded away, or replaced in the frame, until needed for future use.
3. The steps must be constructed so that they will stay firmly in place during the baptism. This can be accomplished by bolting the steps to the four-inch reinforcing board at the upper edge of the baptistry and also to the small platform on the baptistry floor. Thus by removing only four bolts, one can lift the entire step assembly and permit removal of the canvas.
4. Care must be taken to avoid puncturing the canvas by improperly driven nails or exposed bolt heads. The bolt heads on the under side of the landing platform should be counter sunk flush.