The Bible says children are a blessing, and many parents want to immerse their little bundle of joy in faith as soon as possible. Many faiths use the ritual called “christening” to formally present their child to God. Today the term has various connotations, however Rev. Phillip Shobe, senior pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church, says the ritual of christening is reserved for Catholics, and the practice has deep historical roots.
“This practice started several centuries ago in the Catholic Church. That time, people died young from plagues and diseases,” said Shobe. “Their understanding was if a person was not a part of the church, that person was doomed for eternity. It’s hard enough for a parent to lose a child, but then you add on top that this child is lost forever, that made it unbearable.”
To secure the baby’s spiritual future after death, Shobe said the Catholic Church decided to hold a special water baptism for babies. Also during the ceremony, the child receives their Christian name.
“Christening means ‘to give a Christian name’ like Lawrence or Mary,” said Shobe.
Experts say christening babies is not biblical, but is a ritualistic practice that is similar to the Jewish practice of circumcising baby boys — a sign that you are part of a covenant.
Though a few denominations may call the ceremony a christening, Pastor Donald Hudson, senior pastor of Umoja Christian Church, said it’s better for other religious groups to use the term “dedication,” the tradition where the child is presented back to God.
“It lays a Christian foundation for that child to grow from. When we dedicate children, we give them a certificate as well as their first Bible. That foundation is also for that parent. It’s up to them to help the child understand that Bible,” said Hudson.
Despite what ritual is used during infancy, Shobe said many churches, including the Catholic Church, request a verbal profession of faith once the child gets older and is able to clearly express their understanding in God and faith.
“There was a group of people who became known as the Anabaptists, meaning to baptize over again. They struggled with ‘christening,’ so they decided they wouldn’t baptize babies,” added Shobe. “They went to the other end and practiced adult baptism. Eventually the pendulum swung more in the middle to what they call ‘believers’ baptism.’ This is when a person can come forward on their own and say they have put their trust in Jesus.”
Hudson said the important thing to note is how one lives after the ritualistic fanfare is over. He said the initial onus is on the parents to be a godly example for their young child and teach them how to live like Christ.
“This is especially for our young parents. Like many people, I grew up in church. Parents now don’t do the same things we did,” said Hudson. “And a lot of times, they are the first one in their entire family who is trying to understand God and what it means to be in church. We impress upon them ‘this is your responsibility as a Christian parent to raise this child up.’”
Hudson agrees that in today’s society, it’s becoming difficult to be a Christian, but encourages believers to cease “religion” and champion “spirituality.”
“Being a Christian doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. You can be a normal person. But being a Christian means you have a relationship with Christ, follow Christ’s example that’s laid out for you in the Bible, and live that daily,” said Hudson. “Non-believers come to church with a view of what Christianity is, and when they see us not doing right, that knocks them out. We have to be true to what we believe.”
