I know there are some sects that use a Baptismal Font. That’s different; are there any religious groups baptizing their members in stillwater? That is to say, Baptism in a lake or the Ocean?
Does it have to be in a river?
Absolutely.
I was an Anglican (currently a Baptist), and I have witnessed several adult full-immersion baptisms in either the ocean or a river or lake (as well as any number of baptisms using a font, of both adults and infants).
The place is not important - the sacrament is.
Our Anglican Church, which was built in the 1970s has a full immersion pool as well as an ordinary font.
It must have added a good deal to the cost of building the church, which was funded by donations, but to the best of my knowledge, it has not been used since the early 90s.On the other hand, a group from the church visited Israel a couple of years ago, and being ducked in the River Jordan was a highlight of the trip.
I was once a guest at a Chicago South Suburb Baptist church that had a full immersion tub up near the altar.
There is a full-immersion “tub” in a Baptist Church in Belfast, Maine. I saw a baptism take place there. :eek:
Baptist churches (by doctrinal definition) will generally have a baptismal pool for full immersion adult baptism - there should be no surprises there.
The OP was asking about baptisms in places other than church, which do occur in multiple denominations and places all round the globe.
Yes, only one sect obeys the pope, so its not like all christians follow one “rule”.
Sects that require baptism of mature people are called “born again”…they believe that it has to be done as an adult, and that a hair wash at a font isn’t the right way.
This baptism in the ocean did not go well.
I was baptized in a creek near my childhood country church in the mid-60’s. They installed a baptistry in the mid 90’s. Churches use the resources at hand.
Full immersion is the process described as performed by Jesus in the Bible. Baptists think it’s appropriate to follow that example. That said, my minister has sprinkled a couple of people who were not in a physical condition to be taken into the water. He got advice from his friend the Methodist minister! 
Baptism is meant to be a sign to the world that one is a believer and may be a requirement to be a member of some churches.
I’m LDS; baptized my best friend in the mouth of the Carmel River. The key is that the water has to be deep enough to immerse the baptizee and wide enough for both the baptizer and baptizee to stand in the water.
My mother was re-baptized in a lake just last fall. And there’s also another church right down the road from me that does lake baptisms at least twice a year. The former is non-denominational and the latter Baptist.
I’ve attended over a dozen Baptist churches, and every single one of them had a tub specifically for baptisms. I have never seen anyone actually baptized in a river, except in movies. But I have heard stories of Baptist churches who would sometimes do an outdoor baptism, and the stories always involved a lake, not a river.
I know some churches do it in Lake Murray.
A friend of mine grew up in a rural area. The only real source of water near the church was a small creek that fed a tiny pond. She got baptised in the pond – the creek wasn’t deep enough to dunk anyone.
Lake Murray, San Diego? Hello neighbor; that’s one of my favorite walking trails!
Does anyone ever baptize using water from a garden hose?
OP is an interesting question for comparative religion, and for the closest religion, comparitevely, Judaism.
Theologically, I am not familiar with the sacrament’s roots following St. John–that is, if the “anointing” imagery (the etymology of the Hebrew “Moshiach”/Messiah) or the more general imagery, anthropologically, of cleansing, from which anointment surely draws.
Nonetheless, the commandment of ritual cleansing and the manner of carrying it out–the mikveh (pronounced simply Mik-vah) is the pool itself–is, like so much of modern (Rabbinic) Judaism, first encountered more or less contemporaneously with the Gospel account.
Ultimately it winds up as a case of having your cake and eating it too: a pool (standing water) with the idea and principle of running water–“running” water implicating refreshing, rejuvenating, and active participation of the forces of nature:
…Before the beginning of the first century BCE, neither written sources, nor archaeology gives any indication about the existence of specific installations used for ritual cleansing.[7][8][9] Mikvehs appear at the beginning of the first century BCE, and from then on ancient mikvehs can be found throughout the land of Israel as well as in historic communities of the Jewish diaspora. In modern times, mikvehs can be found in most communities in Orthodox Judaism.[dubious ] [sic!–Leo]
…A mikveh must be connected to a natural spring or well of naturally occurring water, and thus can be supplied by rivers and lakes which have natural springs as their source.[10] … The water must flow naturally to the mikveh from the source, which essentially means that it must be supplied by gravity or a natural pressure gradient, and the water cannot be pumped there by hand or carried. It was also forbidden for the water to pass through any vessel which could hold water within it (however pipes open to the air at both ends are fine)[17]
As a result, tap water could not be used as the primary water source for a mikveh, although it can be used to top the water up to a suitable level.[16] To avoid issues with these rules in large cities, various methods are employed to establish a valid mikveh. One is that tap water is made to flow over the top of a kosher mikveh, and through a conduit into a larger pool. A second method is to create a mikveh in a deep pool, place a floor with holes over that and then fill the upper pool with tap water. In this way, it is considered as if the person dipping is actually “in” the pool of rain water.
Most contemporary mikvehs are indoor constructions, involving rain water collected from a cistern, and passed through a duct by gravity into an ordinary bathing pool; the mikveh can be heated, taking into account certain rules, often resulting in an environment not unlike a spa…
Source: Wikipedia, reformatted for clarity: Mikveh - Wikipedia]
I was Baptized as a youth in the Methodist church by the pastor just sprinkling some water on me, but several years later my faith changed to Calvary Chapel baptism in Mission Bay. Yes full immersion is good for the soul in that it is in the commitment to Jesus by words and faith and by the water and the blood to renew your born again Spirit.
Here’s a really good short video, “Down to the River to Pray”: Down To The River To Pray - Alison Krauss - YouTube
Most of these people are no longer with us probably, but forever starts when you believe.
(Countdown begins to forum bitch by poster or mod note…)
The full immersion is, in my opinion, more symbolic of washing away sins than sprinkling. As a Baptist we did full immersion. I believe a lake, pond, river, or a church baptismal is completely acceptable. As far as the ocean… I have never really thought about that, but on first thought it seems ok as well. Baptism is not required in order to be saved, as evidenced by the criminal on the cross, but it is something we should do as soon as possible after accepting Christ.
Baptism in lakes or rivers still happens, but it’s statistically rarer than the baptism pool, I think.