A new baptism service without mention of the devil was debated by members of the Church of England General Synod today
The synod, which sent the texts through to the next stage of the authorisation process, heard that the new texts are needed because the world has changed so much, even in the last 15 years.
Parents are turning up to have children baptised who have lost the language of Church, if they ever had it in the first place.
If people turning up to baptise their children have ‘lost the language of the Church, if they ever had it in the first place’ then how can they make the promises in the ceremony? Surely no amount of tinkering with language can resolve that issue? I feel convicted of sin on this one, because as a pastor I know that I have been too lenient and flexible in accepting children for baptism when the family seems to have only a vestigial connection with the Church.