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Church
of England's "two-in-one" service under fire
Conservatives have lambasted the Church of England’s
proposal of offering couples a two-for-one service –
marriage for them and baptisms for their children born
outside marriage – saying it “confuses Church’s
message.”
The Church of England on Thursday announced a new church
guideline which allows couples to baptize their children
after the wedding ceremony. Parents can even get
baptized themselves.
The church said it is recognizing the changing reality
of British families after research commissioned by the
church revealed that 44 percent of children in Britain
are born to unmarried women and that one in five couples
seeking a church wedding already had children either
together or from a previous relationship.
The Rev.Tim Sledge, vicar of Romsey in the Diocese of
Winchester, said he has been asked to “merge” wedding
and baptism services several times.
“It has been lovely to give couples this flexibility to
enjoy an extra special celebration for the whole
family,” he commented. “Now the guidelines are available
online, the church can ‘say yes’ and offer an even
warmer wedding welcome to couples with children.”
Stephen Parkinson, of the Anglo-Catholic group Forward
in Faith told the Times, however, that the proper place
for a baptism is not during a wedding but during the
Sunday morning act of worship when the congregation can
welcome a new Christian.
“It is a shame that what should be a bride’s day now
stands to be hijacked by screaming kids,” Parkinson
said.
Defending the dual service, Stephen Platten, Bishop of
Wakefield and chairman of the liturgical commission,
which drew up the service, said: “This does not mean the
Church is changing its teaching. This is a way for the
Church to reinforce its commitment to marriage. The
Church has always attempted to meet people where they
are. But it has also tried to teach something of what it
believes the Christian faith to be.”
Critics say the new guideline confuses the church’s
message and appears to sanction having children out of
wedlock.
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