SACRAMENTS

What is required of me to be a United Methodist?

Baptism ushers you into the Christian church universal, the family of Christ. When baptized you will be asked to

• renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of the world, and repent of your sin;

• accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression; and

• confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races (The Baptismal Covenant I, The United Methodist Hymnal [UMH]).

Your pastor may require that you participate in a membership class before being baptized or taking church membership vows.

After baptism, then what?

To be received into United Methodist membership, you will be asked "to be loyal to Christ through The United Methodist Church and do all in your power to strengthen its ministries." Last, you will be received as a member of a particular congregation by committing yourself to faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness. Baptism isn't the end of the process; it's just the beginning of a lifelong journey of faith that is lived out in community with your local church.

What does the church teach about baptism?

"Through the Sacrament of Baptism we are initiated into Christ's holy church. We are incorporated into God's mighty acts of salvation, and given new birth through water and the Spirit. All this is God's gift, offered to us without price" (The Baptismal Covenant II, UMH).

If I have already been baptized in another Christian denomination, must I be rebaptized to be a United Methodist?

No, your previous baptism is accepted.

Are there any exceptions?

Yes. One example, found in The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church, 2016, recommends that converts from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints be offered the sacrament of Christian baptism following a period of intensive exploration and instruction in the Christian faith because that church, according to The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church, 2016, "presents itself as a faith tradition outside the parameters of historic, apostolic Christianity."

What if I want to be baptized a second time?

Baptism is an act of God, and God does it right the first time. Our side of the covenant relationship with God will need recommitment and reaffirmation, but God always remains faithful on the divine side. Talk to your pastor about using a meaningful service for remembering and renewing your earlier baptism vows.

How is baptism done in The United Methodist Church?

Sprinkling is most commonly used, but pouring and immersion are also permissible. United Methodists are more concerned with the symbolism and meaning of the event than the exact form that might have been used in early times.

United Methodists baptize babies. Is it necessary for salvation?

Regardless of age, the sacrament of baptism is initiation into the household of faith, the means by which a person is "incorporated by the Holy Spirit into God's new creation" (The Baptismal Covenant II, UMH). When an infant is baptized, the parents promise to raise the child in a Christian home, and the congregation recognizes its responsibility in the Christian nurture of the child. Baptismal vows are usually reaffirmed by the child at confirmation. Baptism is not absolutely necessary for salvation. An infant who dies without having been baptized is as much within the love and care of God as the baptized infant.

What is the difference between baptism and confirmation?

The sacrament of baptism for a person of any age acknowledges God's unconditional love and claim on the recipient and should not be repeated. The rite of confirmation is a person's response to God. Confirmation is most often observed in local churches when youth, baptized as infants, make their own public declaration of faith. However, people of any age may choose to reaffirm their baptismal vows in a public worship service more than once.

What sacraments are observed by United Methodists?

Two: Baptism, a non-repeatable initiation into the body of Christ, and the Lord's Supper, a regularly repeatable celebration of Communion of the body of Christ. Other events such as confirmation, marriage, and funeral services are obviously significant and important, but they are not considered sacraments. A sacrament is a ceremony considered especially sacred because God is acting through it or because it is a sign or symbol of a significant reality. The denomination's Articles of Religion call the sacraments "certain signs of grace, and God's good will toward us."

What is the difference between Communion and the Lord's Supper?

Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper, and the Eucharist all refer to the sacrament celebrated by United Methodists, but each term highlights a different aspect of this act of worship: communion with God and with one another, a holy meal to which we are invited by Jesus, and thanks to God for gifts of creation and salvation. The sacrament is a celebration and remembrance of God's grace and mercy in Jesus, of the resurrection of Christ, and of Christ's continuing presence with us.

In the Communion service, what is meant by the "body and blood of Christ"?

The bread and wine represent the body and blood of Jesus as he spoke of them at the Last Supper with his disciples. We do not believe that the elements literally turn into the body and blood of Christ, but we do believe that Jesus Christ is truly present in Holy Communion. The divine presence is a living reality and can be experienced by participants. It is not only a remembrance of the Last Supper and Crucifixion, but also a celebration of Christ's presence.

How often do United Methodists observe Holy Communion?

Most congregations observe Holy Communion at least once a month, usually on the first Sunday, and on special days of the Christian year. Some congregations offer Communion weekly. There is a move toward more frequent celebrations to recover practices of the early church and early Methodism. John Wesley, Methodism's founder, instructed believers to celebrate Holy Communion "as often as [one] can."

Why does the church use grape juice instead of wine in Holy Communion?

Although the historic and ecumenical Christian practice has been to use wine, the use of unfermented grape juice by The United Methodist Church and its predecessors since the late nineteenth century expresses pastoral concern for recovering alcoholics, enables the participation of children and youth, and supports the church's witness of abstinence from alcoholic beverages. The term wine continues to be used because of its biblical and historical antecedents, even when unfermented grape juice is used.

Are children permitted to participate...