This is the text of an article I wrote which appeared in the 15th October 2010 edition of the Church of England Newspaper.
During the 1940s, in parallel with the emerging consensus on the nature and structure of the Eucharist based on pre-Nicene models, there was an emerging scholarly consensus on baptism. This culminated in the 1958 Liturgical Commission Report “Baptism and Confirmation”. It sets out the integrated rite of Baptism and Confirmation of Adults as the archetypal service, roundly declaring “In the New Testament Adult Baptism is the norm, and it is only in the light of this fact that the doctrine and practice of Baptism can be understood”.
However, to understand and to imitate are two different things. In 1960 the number of infant baptisms was still massive and the number of confirmations was quite substantial, so pastoral practice was not affected by what the liturgists thought..
In 1971 the Ely report on Christian initiation proposed that “The Church should make explicit its recognition of Baptism as the full and complete rite of Christian initiation” and “that Confirmation be administered as a service of commitment and commissioning, but at a suitable stage in adult life.” The first recommendation resulted in the drive by some for children to be communicants without being confirmed. To the extent it takes root, the practice casts doubt on the relevance or necessity for confirmation. The second recommendation has simply been ignored. In the midst of this are the bishops who carry on confirming candidates as requested by the parishes. It raises the question – is confirmation a component of Christian initiation as it stands? If so, how is initiation complete in Baptism? Perhaps Ely was mistaken?
What about this question. Is Confirmation experienced as it should be only when part of an integrated sacramental act of Baptism-Confirmation-First Communion?
If we accept that to be so, then there are two ways of handling the full integrated rite.. First is the way of the Orthodox who administers the integrated rite to babies. The parish priests are given authority to confirm. The second way is to follow the pre-Nicene pattern of the pre-baptismal catechumenate, culminating (ideally at Easter) in the integrated rite. For this to be practicable it would be necessary for the bishops to delegate confirming to the parochial clergy, but just imagine the energy that might release. It would mean that the work of evangelism and catechesis could be synchronised throughout England. Starting with “Back to Church Sunday” in September there could be a common pattern of preparation and instruction leading through to Easter. The role of the bishops could be to validate those local churches or new expressions of Church sufficiently resourced to meet the demands of the programme.
Embraced ecumenically a typical Easter might see people receiving initiation in perhaps 25,000 different locations at the same time on the same day. What a witness that would be!
However, for as long as the authority to confirm in the C of E is confined to fewer than 200 men, the vision cannot be realised. That would be a great shame. Movements like Fresh Expressions witness to a Church beginning to wake up to the world as it is – pluralistic, globalised, scientific, materialistic, media driven but a world in which people have enormous personal freedom to choose in so many aspects of life, but knowing little or nothing about Jesus. As the report on Generation Y said, it is a generation ignorant about rather than hostile to Christianity, surely an unchurched generation for which the ancient pre-baptismal catechumenate was tailor-made.
To reintroduce the catechumenate and reintegrate Confirmation with Baptism is not something unheard of. For a generation now the Roman Catholic Church has been running its rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and some parts of the Anglican Communion have developed similar rites. Take note also that Common Worship: Christian Initiation contains a modest nudge in the same direction with its opening Rites Supporting Disciples on the Way of Christ. It also provides for the newborn with a well devised Service of Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child. (691 words)
David Perry, Membership Secretary of Baptismal Integrity,
the views expressed are personal and do not represent any particular policy of BI
South Cave 10/10/10
