Hi - I'm looking for some advice on being christened as an adult.

I've been asked to be a godparent and I understand you have to have been christened yourself in order to do this - however, I never was. I'm not particularly religious myself but I do respect it, and I also want to undertake my godparenting duties properly and seriously. Therefore I am looking into what is involved in me being christened now, as an adult.

Does anyone have any experience of this, or know what might be involved? I guess different churches will have different rules. I've left messages with St James' at Norton as that is where I got married but they haven't got back to me. If not there, then a church local to me at Woodseats would be ok I guess.

Searching on the internet for more info hasn't helped me much either so I'm hoping there are some good folk out there that can help me out with some advice!

Ta very much.

the best person to ask would be the priest/minister of the church where the christening is to take place :)
(the one you've been asked to godparent at)

I may be confused here....how can you be a godparent if you are not a believer?

My understanding is that as a godparent (as the name suggests) you are there to help the person come to an understanding of God/religion?

If not, what are the non-religious views on duties/responsibilities?

I'm not tryng to have a go at you, just want to understand a differant meaning to the word. ;)

I read 'not particularly religious' to mean a non-church goer rather than anything more 'against'

I always saw the role of Godparent as being there to help guide the child, to be there for them ina ddition to their paents, or for when they may feel they can't talk to their parents.

Obviously the ceremony itself is inherently religious, but personally in this day and age I don't feel that you have to make the role religious iof you personally don't have those beliefs.

I used to go to a baptist church, so kids weren't christened, but had a dedication ceremony, with roles similar to godparents and the coingregation as a whole accepting the child and promising to help them however they may need it. The idea being that if they stay within the church the child/person makes their own decision to baptised later.

There must be many different but inherently similar ceremonies for all the variety of denominations out there.

... The idea being that if they stay within the church the child/person makes their own decision to baptised later....
I wasn't babptised as a baby for just that reason.

My understanding is that, if you haven't been christened you can still be a godparent but you are called 'a sponsor'.

Cant talk about other religions but if your talking about catholism ? you dont have to be christened to be a godparent.

I am a godparent to my friend's little boy. Nobody asked if I had been Christened (I have actually). I was chosen as my views on upbringing are similar to my friend's and she thought that I would have the most common sense if I ever needed to look after him!

Chuck yourself in the canal and pretend :D

I'm almost sure that you don't have to have been baptised in order to be a Godparent. To be baptised now I think you would have to undertake to attend church a number of times, probably become a member of that church and not to put to fine a point on it acknowledge God as the saviour of mankind who sent his only son ...........

Better to clarify with the parents what they understand the role and qualities of a Godparent to be and go from there. I was extremely flattered to have been asked and now that the little sod is leaving his teens feel that just occasionally I may have helped in some minor way.

Thanks for the feedback folks.

It's interesting that a couple of you have suggested you don't have to be christened in order to be a godparent - I was told different but it sounds like something I really should confirm! Perhaps talking to the minister at the church in question might be the best place to start.

For the record, neither myself nor the parents see the role of godparent as being necessarily religious - more just an expression that it's my responsibility to assist in the child's upbringing by offering support, guidance, being a good role model, etc. Hopefully that doesn't appear too hypocritical!

Well I discovered humanism today - I wasn't aware of it before! It sounds like they have similar thing but of a more secular nature, as you've just described.
There's a website somewhere... Maybe there are people here who can enlighten us further (if you're interested of course, I don't mean to disparage your faith but if you're not very religious you might be interested?)

it's likely to be catholics who want you to be christened into the faith yourself, and anglicans who don't stipulate, but if you contact the relevant church, that should ensure you get the right answer :thumbsup:

Whether or not you have to be a baptised member of the church, you will have to make baptism-like statements, acknowledging Jesus Christ and renouncing the Devil as part of the ceremony.

Just to let you know :D

As far as I know the role of a godparent is to offer support to the child and look after the child if anything bad happened to his/her parents.

it's likely to be catholics who want you to be christened into the faith yourself, and anglicans who don't stipulate, but if you contact the relevant church, that should ensure you get the right answer :thumbsup:


Do people not read the threads ? just post ?

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE CHRISTENED TO BE A GODPARENT IN A CATHOLIC CHURCH !!!!!!

Hopefully thats cleared it up incase anyone else just posts without reading the replies on the thread.

Surely it depends on the church itself (maybe the priest or parish or something)?

Like how some catholic churches will marry people who have been divorced, and some won't budge on that at all.

Do people not read the threads ? just post ?

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE CHRISTENED TO BE A GODPARENT IN A CATHOLIC CHURCH !!!!!!

Hopefully thats cleared it up incase anyone else just posts without reading the replies on the thread.

We were told we could have a non-catholic godparent (a 'sponsor') as long as we had at least one catholic godparent for the child too.

We had our daughter christened last year and the priest said as long as one of the god parents was christened it was fine. But to be honest, it's not like there is a massive database of christians and heathens that they compare to, so just lie! I'm sure God won't mind if you're doing it for a good reason.

I thought our service was in a CoE church although the vicar did go on about the holy catholic church at one point which threw me a bit. If it's going to be in a catholic church maybe they'll have a mass as part of the service, which could be embarassing if no one knows what to do. But it can't be that hard, just copy everyone else. Or maybe the bhoy knows what to do?

I thought our service was in a CoE church although the vicar did go on about the holy catholic church at one point which threw me a bit.

'We believe in the one Holy Catholic Church' is said by congregations of both CofE and most probably the Catholic Church. This is said at times like Christenings, baptisms and Communion.

I think all the words are taken from the Book of Common Prayer which is used for a variety of ceremonies as mentioned above and also for weddings and funerals.

As this book was put together before the CofE broke away from the Catholic Church, it remains an important part of the dialogue. (But if anyone wishes to correct me, then please feel free.)

Ah, so that was why? Cool. Thanks for that, i did wonder if i had somehow managed to get my daughter christened as a catholic! Not that i have a problem if i did. I like to think we're all one at the end of the day. :>)

"I believe in one Holy and Catholic and Apostolic Church" is a line from the Nicene Creed of 381 and is said as part of important Church of England services. 'Catholic' in that context means 'universal'. It's part of the affirmation of faith which the participants in the service are making.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed

If you want to see the whole of the Anglican service for the Baptism of Infants, it's here: http://cofe.anglican.org/worship/liturgy/commonworship/texts/initiation/baptism.html

Might be worth a look for anyone with questions about what the service would consist of. This isn't exactly what would happen - it might vary depending on whether it takes place during a service of Holy Communion or separately - but it'll give you an idea!

Priests in the C of E have no discretion whatever in baptising infants, unlike weddings, they have to do it. They do however enjoy a wide discretion in what they may expect and ask of godparents. Many priests will ask the prospective godparents to see them ahead of the service, so that they can discuss their own faith, and the responsibility they are taking on. They are entitled to expect that the godparents are practising Christians, baptised or otherwise, although many show considerable latitude.

Why do people who aren't Christians have their children baptised anyway?

Priests in the C of E have no discretion whatever in baptising infants, unlike weddings, they have to do it. They do however enjoy a wide discretion in what they may expect and ask of godparents. Many priests will ask the prospective godparents to see them ahead of the service, so that they can discuss their own faith, and the responsibility they are taking on. They are entitled to expect that the godparents are practising Christians, baptised or otherwise, although many show considerable latitude.

Why do people who aren't Christians have their children baptised anyway?

I did wonder that!

PS I do wear marigolds :)

I did wonder that!

PS I do wear marigolds :)

Naked greed as often as not. The hope that a 'do' will produce another set of presents for the little darling, plus an ongoing supply of Christmas and birthday presents from the lucky 'godparents'.

PS So do I, red ones, but not for Christenings (never go, actually, but I wouldn't if I did).