The Evangelical Covenant Church affirms Matthew 28:19 as the normative command of the risen Christ: to baptize disciples 'in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.' The Trinitarian formula is understood as essential to Christian baptism and reflects the church's Trinitarian theology.

Baptism in the ECC is practiced as an ordinance (not a sacrament) symbolizing personal faith in Christ and obedience to his command. While the ECC baptizes both believers and children of believing parents (reflecting its Swedish pietist roots and allowance for infant baptism within a believer's church context), the Trinitarian formula is consistently used in all baptisms.

The Trinitarian invocation connects the baptized person to the covenant people of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 is also understood as the Great Commission, establishing the church's missionary mandate to disciple all nations. The formula reflects the ECC's emphasis on the integral role of all three persons of the Trinity in salvation and sanctification.