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Resources for Diocesan and District Ecumenical Officers
D: Worship Resources for use in Local Ecumenical Partnerships
Joint Confirmation liturgies
Memo to Ecumenical Officers
When the Church of England is a partner in a formal Local Ecumenical Partnership, the diocesan bishop may permit 'joint confirmations'. (See Canon B 44.4 (e)) Those confirmed in these services are admitted into 'multiple membership' of all the denominations participating in the LEP.
Not all Church of England bishops are willing to take part in joint confirmations, but those that do need to be confident that the form of service to be used meets basic Church of England requirements.
Most LEP constitutions designate the intermediate Sponsoring Body as the context where appropriate forms of service should be authorised. There is therefore considerable scope for local variation, and it has never been thought right to try to devise a nationally-approved form of service.
On the other hand, each intermediate Sponsoring Body should not be expected to 're-invent the wheel'. National Ecumenical Officers for the various denominations - either directly or through Churches Together in England - are happy to assist intermediate Sponsoring Bodies to agree appropriate forms of service that are acceptable to the confirming ministers in their area.
A form of service for joint confirmation was produced by the Joint Liturgical Commission about twelve years. Since then most denominations have revised their own liturgical texts – and thus this published text is now significantly out of date.
Various intermediate Sponsoring Bodies have now produced forms of joint confirmation service which reflect the new liturgies and which are acceptable to their confirming ministers - especially their Church of England bishops. Copies of some of these are included on this web site.
It would be good practice for every intermediate Sponsoring Body to agree forms of service for joint confirmation in this way with their confirming ministers. Hopefully the availability of these samples will make the task easier.
Further samples of what has been produced locally would be welcome, and will be added to this web site. Email covenant@c-of-e.org.uk
Joint confirmation remains a sensitive issue in many parts of the Church of England and the immediate availability of locally-agreed forms of service will help allay some of the anxieties.
Sample services:
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