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Sacrament (Community of Christ)


The sacraments are viewed as vital ministries in the Community of Christ for both individual and community spiritual development. They are viewed as essential to the mission, identity and message of the denomination, providing a common foundation for religious practice across the world. The sacraments practiced by the Community of Christ are baptism, confirmation, the Lord's supper, marriage, administration to the sick, ordination, blessing of children, and evangelist's blessing. These latter two are not widely practiced as sacraments in other Christian denominations. The Community of Christ does not observe confession as a sacrament.

For the Community of Christ, baptism is a covenant entered into between the individual and God. It is an expression of their faith and trust in God. A Person is baptized into Community of Christ and becomes a member of that particular fellowship. Baptism also signifies commitment to the universal task of Christianity to which the contributions of other Christians are acknowledged and appreciated. Community of Christ requires that persons reach the "age of accountability" before becoming baptized. That age has been identified as at least eight years of age. The term "age of accountability" also suggests that a person is accountable to God for their decisions, their resources, and their whole lives. In the Community of Christ tradition a person is baptized by immersion. Emerging from the water symbolizes resurrection and the rising to a new life. The sacrament of baptism may be performed by members of the Melchisedec priesthood or by Aaronic priests. The 2007 World Conference of the Community of Christ passed a resolution requesting the First Presidency to examine the issue of rebaptism as a condition for membership in those cases where the potential member is already a baptized Christian.

Confirmation, known also as baptism of the Holy Spirit, follows baptism by water and completes a person's initiation into the church. The only prerequisite for the rite of confirmation is that a person is baptized into Community of Christ. Normally several days or weeks elapse between baptism and confirmation. Sometimes this sacrament occurs immediately following baptism in the same service of worship. Confirmation is administered by the laying on of hands. Typically the candidate sits in a chair and two members of the Melchisedec priesthood lay their hands on the candidate's head, one offering the prayer of confirmation. There are no prescribed words that must be included in the prayer of confirmation.


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