Conversion. In its most basic sense, conversion means a turning from one way of life to another. For Christians it is a turning from sin to a new life in Christ, an experience of the saving power of God. While most American religious traditions agree on the need for conversion, they frequently differ on the nature of conversion itself. Some groups stress the gradual nature of salvation as a process nurtured by the church through instruction, worship and sacraments. Certain groups—Baptists, Pentecostals