Glossary of Terms: Term definition

baptism

The sacramental act whereby a person is cleansed by the Holy Spirit and becomes part of the body of Christ-the church universal.
In The United Methodist Church a candidate for Holy Baptism or his sponsors may choose any of the traditional ways baptism is administered: sprinkling, pouring, or immersion. The most common method in recent years has been sprinkling.

Source: Sharing God's Gifts Glossary of United Methodist Terms
http://umcgiving.org/content/glossary.asp