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Nancy became a Christian last year and was eager to be baptized. But as an Army nurse deployed to a field hospital in Baghdad, her opportunities for full-immersion baptism were extremely limited.

She would have to wait until several of her fellow soldiers were also ready for the rite, then they could dig a shallow hole in the sand in their compound, line it with plastic, and fill it with water. But Nancy didn't want to wait.

"I was ready," she said excitedly. "I decided I had waited long enough. Seeing some of the things I do in my work made me realize that I needed to get my life in order, so after I made the decision to become a Christian, I was going to find a place to be baptized."

The only available water nearby was in a pool at one of Saddam Hussein's presidential palaces. "I asked the chaplain if there would be anything sacrilegious about using that pool, and he said there wasn't, so that's where I was baptized."

Most ministers aren't challenged to this degree in finding a place to baptize new Christians. But many churches and ministries need a mobile or portable baptistry. Fortunate-ly, products are available for every situation.

Churches that do not have an installed baptistry and have no suitable space for one often choose a moveable tub that can be setup when needed and stored away at other times. One type of product is the mobile tub, which often doubles as a communion table when not filled with water. This product consists of a fiberglass tub, either by itself or inside a wood enclosure. When empty, two adults can pick up the baptistry and move it. If equipped with castors, one or two people can push it into place.

A second option is the popular The Portable Baptistry™, a circular baptistry that is quickly assembled from its building-block components and lined with a plastic liner. When not in use, The Portable Baptistry™'s parts can be stored in a closet. It can taken by car or van to another location, if needed. Its design is such that, when assembled, it looks like a permanent installation.

A third option offers the ultimate in portability. American Rehabilitation Ministries makes an aluminum-framed unit that folds into the size of a lawn chair. Weighing just 30 pounds, this baptistry can be checked as luggage for air transportation. For traveling ministries and missionaries, this product is a unique answer to prayer. But don't discount its use in churches. Although not as attractive as the other products, it is very practical and can be stored anywhere.

Michael W. Michelsen, Jr. is a freelance writer living in California.

Copyright © 2007 by the author or Christianity Today/Your Church magazine.
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