The Wesleyan Church affirms Matthew 28:19 as Christ's command to baptize disciples 'in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.' Baptism is administered following this Trinitarian formula and is understood as a means of grace and a public profession of faith.

Water baptism is valued in Wesleyan theology as an ordinance through which believers publicly profess their faith in Christ and dedicate themselves to discipleship. The Trinitarian formula affirmed in Matthew 28:19 connects baptism to the Trinitarian redemptive work — the Father's election, the Son's atonement, and the Spirit's regeneration — all coordinated in the baptismal act.

The Wesleyan tradition affirms both justifying grace (received through faith in Christ) and sanctifying grace (received progressively through Christian life). Baptism, as an act of obedience and commitment, is part of the believer's response to God's gracious offer of salvation and the beginning of the sanctifying journey toward Christian perfection.