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Update 46 page 3.
In Update 46:
Parents hear?
Web wanderings
Dear Archbishop
Waters converge
Videos and prep
Andrewes
Of godparents
Dear Archbishop ...
Ian Robins wrote to our new Archbishop, asking him to give his attention to baptism. He sent us a copy of his letter.
Dear Archbishop,
As a member of Baptismal Integrity I write to express the concern felt by many laity and clergy who are not happy with current practices of Infant Baptism, and to ask whether you can see it as part of your new ministry amongst us to lead the Church of England to a more unified, disciplined and kindly policy?
Amongst the confused theological debates concerning the precise function of the Sacrament, and the diversity of parish practice, two things are clear:-
- Many parents who approach the Church after the birth of a child hope for baptism - whatever they conceive the ceremony to mean,
- The Church of England in its various liturgies has preserved, and indeed reinforced, the verbal commitment of parents and godparents in the performance of the Rite.
Were the Church to delete all parental responses, and hospitably and devoutly baptize in the name of Christ and his Church, there would be no difficulty in administering Baptism to all who ask for it without question. A welcome, and a statement of the Christian Faith would have been made, and the future then consigned to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the follow-up work of the local church, and the willingness of parents to see beyond the initial event.
However, since the sacramental liturgies (following the Biblical link between Baptism and Faith) imply a considerable commitment from parents and godparents, the ceremony as currently conducted raises questions of integrity - the integrity of the priest and of the responding parents.
Observations of parental responses at some baptisms reveal anything but joyful assent to a new and living way of life, and, with the wide acceptance of public baptism, regular churchgoers frequently question whether families totally outside the Church ought to be allowed to stumble through such solemn public vows. The very fact of the sacrificial living and the dangers faced by Christians in some parts of the world throws into unfavourable contrast the ease with which the gifts of Faith can apparently be acquired in the English Church.
It has been said that we are often encouraging people to commit perjury, and I fear that many baptisms, despite strenuous efforts by the parochial clergy, verge on farce, being regarded as little more than social occasions by the crowds who awkwardly fill the pews. These embarrassing episodes are hardly likely to be for the glory of God, the salvation of the child, or the building up of Christ's Church.
The way forward lies in the provision of loving but serious preparation prior to the Baptism, coupled with an understanding that where parents clearly want no further commitment Baptism will be deferred. Notions of covenant, rebirth, repentance and incorporation into the Body of Christ may not easily be meaningful to folk with little religious experience - but the invitation to 'turn to Christ' is direct and challenging and can with care be given meaning to the uninitiated. That very specific response opens the way for an introduction to the person of Jesus, to his impact on our history, and to the importance of his teaching and way of life for the whole family. In such face-to-face speaking of Jesus there is immense evangelistic and pastoral opportunity, at a moment when parents are usually open to mystery through the experiences of confinement, birth, and their new responsibilities.
I retired some years ago, but in my last parish - originally a congregation of retired people - happy hours spent in parents' homes, or with small groups watching videos, and rehearsing round the font, led in a few years to a balanced membership with a thriving Young Families Group and children crawling all over the place on Sunday mornings. Needless to say the cross-evangelism that went on between the young parents initially involved, the welcome of the older members of the congregation, and the provision of suitable 'family' social and religious events were all part of the process. And behind it all, surely, the grace of God! I felt able to adopt a positive baptismal discipline because in the first place the revised Canon B22(4) allows for "delay ... for the purpose of preparing or instructing the parents ...", and in the second place, my Parochial Church Council (with only one abstention) supported a firmer policy. This of course involved prioritisation of time both for myself and my lay colleagues.
A possible policy that clergy and their church councils might debate and adopt involves:-
- The abandonment of publishing fixed dates for Baptisms. This leaves the initiative with those conducting the preparation meetings to offer dates for the Baptism only when there is a sense of readiness. This will of course vary according to the openness and prior commitment of the families, and it is a question of helping parents to recognise that they are taking a first step on the journey of faith. It would be absurd in post-Christian Britain to expect anything like a sudden conversion, and it is a mistake to set standards of regular attendance at church as a condition before proceeding to Baptize.
- The commissioning of a group of Readers and Lay Leaders to work with the clergy in visiting homes and conducting preparation evenings. Obviously parents with small children are key people if they can be helped to be available. Resources for such meetings including videos and CDs can be obtained from Alpha, the Mothers' Union, and numerous religious publishers.
Archbishop - I am approaching you on this issue because the efforts of individual clergy to create some discipline are so often defeated by other clergy or other denominations who for various reasons prefer to adopt a different policy. Only an invitation - or maybe even at some administrative level a resolution - to grasp the evangelistic opportunity offered by the continuing popularity of Infant Baptism, and a willingness to unite in a moderate nationwide practice of kindly discipline will bring order out of our present Baptismal chaos.
Ian Robins, January 2003.
(Ian asked the Archbishop for permission for us to print this letter, and we undertook to publish any reply he wished to make, but we regret no answer has yet been received.)
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