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Update 47 page 1.

A new role for a new generation?

Roger Godin, Vice-chairman of BI

Since our last issue, perhaps the most exciting thing has been the increased activity on our web site. Since November alone we have had 2,500 "hits".

Now clearly not all hits are from those desperate to change their parish baptismal policy, or to seek pastoral support for the loneliness of a "discriminate" vicar. But the underlying correspondence by e-mails shows how important our site is to many people. When we receive enquiries we try to find out how people came across us and a recent reply was "I searched on Yahoo for Baptism and there you were - Number 1!".

Questions come from all different parts of the Anglican Communion (and from other denominations). It may be significant that in January we received two enquiries from people who want to revoke their baptismal vows! Displaying our usual openness we pointed out that we already had something on our site pointing to the Humanist site, but we tried to open a pastoral correspondence as well (though unsuccessfully it seems).

But does this not suggest something quite serious? Whether we take the position "Once a Christian - always a Christian" equals "Once baptised - always baptised" or not, do these two enquiries represent the tip of an iceberg (frozen water!), that yet again emphasises how important is baptismal preparation?

BI has clearly moved from its former role of a conference organiser and synodical campaigner to something new.

I rarely read the glossy magazines, but a picture in one over the caption "Bubbly Baptism" caught my eye recently. A familiar man with a bottle stood over a rowing-boat with the explanation: "Prince Charles returned to Cambridge in November to christen a new Trinity College eight named after him. 'God bless all those who row in it', he announced, before drenching the bow with champagne."

Likewise, when Star Trek begins with "We are on our way to investigate an unusual object which Star Fleet has christened 'Tin Man' ", I don't even ask if they meant "christened with water?". It's obvious that, whatever the etymology of the word, it means "named". And that the enquirer who asks for "christening" is not asking for the sacrament of Christian Initiation, with all its consequences.

We are not doing the punter any favours by hearing him say he wants Christian Initiation when he doesn't. Don't we need to hear what he is really saying?

John Hartley

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This web page was last updated on 16th May 2004.