Help with Certificate of Baptism

bekkilyn · May 31, 2019

I'm trying to fill out a Certificate of Baptism and this particular certificate is worded like:

Be it known that ________ of ___________ received Christian Baptism on _________ at __________.

The certificate is for youth and adults who can answer for themselves vs. babies.

What I'm having trouble with is what goes after the "of"? Is it the parent's names even if the baptism isn't for a small child? Or is the address of the person being baptized? The name of the church?

Also, if the baptism did not take place on the property of the church, does the church name still go after the "at" or is it the address of the place where the person was baptized? (This particular baptism was in a pool at a member's house.)

Thanks!

basilbear76 · May 31, 2019

bekkilyn said:
I'm trying to fill out a Certificate of Baptism and this particular certificate is worded like:

Be it known that ________ of ___________ received Christian Baptism on _________ at __________.

The certificate is for youth and adults who can answer for themselves vs. babies.

What I'm having trouble with is what goes after the "of"? Is it the parent's names even if the baptism isn't for a small child? Or is the address of the person being baptized? The name of the church?

Also, if the baptism did not take place on the property of the church, does the church name still go after the "at" or is it the address of the place where the person was baptized? (This particular baptism was in a pool at a member's house.)

Thanks!

Ask what the policy of your local Methodist church is.

They will know more than random people here.

Mathetes66 · May 31, 2019

You might add after the 'of': "made a confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and"...(received Christian baptism...). If they were old enough, the actual person baptized should be put there. One can put for 'of': either where the person lives or what church fellowship they are involved in that did the baptizing. You can even have the signed name of the person doing the baptizing at the bottom with several witness signatures too. Just some thoughts.

Philip_B · May 31, 2019

bekkilyn said:
I'm trying to fill out a Certificate of Baptism and this particular certificate is worded like:

Be it known that ________ of ___________ received Christian Baptism on _________ at __________.

The certificate is for youth and adults who can answer for themselves vs. babies.

What I'm having trouble with is what goes after the "of"? Is it the parent's names even if the baptism isn't for a small child? Or is the address of the person being baptized? The name of the church?

Also, if the baptism did not take place on the property of the church, does the church name still go after the "at" or is it the address of the place where the person was baptized? (This particular baptism was in a pool at a member's house.)

Thanks!

I believe that would be the address, maybe not specific, but certainly of the township or area where they live

bekkilyn · May 31, 2019

basilbear76 said:
Ask what the policy of your local Methodist church is.

They will know more than random people here.

It's an official UMC certificate, but there is no local church policy of what must go on it and other UMC adult certificates I've seen do not have this "of" on them. I've never seen the "of" before other than for a child (and then it usually has "child of" and not just an "of") and so have no clue! I've sent inquiries out to other UMC pastors, but have not yet received a response (maybe they don't know either!) and time is getting short as it must be ready to present this Sunday, so I figured I'd at least try to get some ideas here as to what it might mean.

Mathetes66 said:
You might add after the 'of': "made a confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and"...(received Christian baptism...). If they were old enough, the actual person baptized should be put there. One can put for 'of': either where the person lives or what church fellowship they are involved in that did the baptizing. You can even have the signed name of the person doing the baptizing at the bottom with several witness signatures too. Just some thoughts.

The sentence "John Smith of made a confession of faith..." makes no grammatical sense though.

There is space for the pastor's name, but I have no issues figuring out what goes there so didn't ask about it.

Philip_B said:
I believe that would be the address, maybe not specific, but certainly of the township or area where they live

Do you mean after the "of" or after the "at"?

chevyontheriver · May 31, 2019

bekkilyn said:
I'm trying to fill out a Certificate of Baptism and this particular certificate is worded like:

Be it known that ________ of ___________ received Christian Baptism on _________ at __________.

The certificate is for youth and adults who can answer for themselves vs. babies.

What I'm having trouble with is what goes after the "of"? Is it the parent's names even if the baptism isn't for a small child? Or is the address of the person being baptized? The name of the church?

Also, if the baptism did not take place on the property of the church, does the church name still go after the "at" or is it the address of the place where the person was baptized? (This particular baptism was in a pool at a member's house.)

Thanks!

City, State, and Country. But I presume.

The local United Methodists would have the scoop.

I'm a little surprised it does not also ask who did the baptizing and a little information about them.

bekkilyn · May 31, 2019

chevyontheriver said:
City, State, and Country. But I presume.

The local United Methodists would have the scoop.

Unfortunately in this case, that's me! It's a very small rural church. They don't have many baptisms, and so this is the first in quite a while.

City and state (at least) after the "of" does make the most sense so far though.

I'm a little surprised it does not also ask who did the baptizing and a little information about them.

It does. I'm just not confused by that part of the certificate.

chevyontheriver · May 31, 2019

bekkilyn said:
Unfortunately in this case, that's me! It's a very small rural church. They don't have many baptisms, and so this is the first in quite a while.

Ask the secretary at the local Catholic parish or Episcopalian church what they have on their baptismal register or baptismal certificates. Those would probably be the most formal.

JAYPT · May 31, 2019

bekkilyn said:
I'm trying to fill out a Certificate of Baptism and this particular certificate is worded like:

Be it known that ________ of ___________ received Christian Baptism on _________ at __________.

The certificate is for youth and adults who can answer for themselves vs. babies.

What I'm having trouble with is what goes after the "of"? Is it the parent's names even if the baptism isn't for a small child? Or is the address of the person being baptized? The name of the church?

Also, if the baptism did not take place on the property of the church, does the church name still go after the "at" or is it the address of the place where the person was baptized? (This particular baptism was in a pool at a member's house.)

Thanks!

You could try this:

21+ Sample Baptism Certificate Templates - Free Sample, Example, Format | Free & Premium Templates

chevyontheriver · May 31, 2019

bekkilyn said:
Unfortunately in this case, that's me! It's a very small rural church. They don't have many baptisms, and so this is the first in quite a while.

Here is what a baptismal certificate is useful for, at least for a Catholic. They want to know, for anyone being confirmed or married or ordained or having their first communion that the person has been validly baptized. So they want a reliable transcript of the event. Realistically it needs a full name of the person baptized, when it occurred, and where, and how the record can be validated (such as the name and title of the person baptizing, the name and address and denomination of the church, and the like). Also useful in these crazy times when anything goes would be some indication of the actual baptismal formula used. This because Catholics do not consider a baptism valid unless it is in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the name of Creator and Redeemer and Sustainer or some such thing doesn't cut it for Catholics and a person baptized that way would have to be baptized again. Mormon or Jehovah's Witness baptisms wouldn't be valid either, but almost all Protestant baptisms would be. You would like to make it as easy as possible for the baptized person to have their baptismal document accepted.

bekkilyn · Jun 1, 2019

chevyontheriver said:
Here is what a baptismal certificate is useful for, at least for a Catholic. They want to know, for anyone being confirmed or married or ordained or having their first communion that the person has been validly baptized. So they want a reliable transcript of the event. Realistically it needs a full name of the person baptized, when it occurred, and where, and how the record can be validated (such as the name and title of the person baptizing, the name and address and denomination of the church, and the like). Also useful in these crazy times when anything goes would be some indication of the actual baptismal formula used. This because Catholics do not consider a baptism valid unless it is in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the name of Creator and Redeemer and Sustainer or some such thing doesn't cut it for Catholics and a person baptized that way would have to be baptized again. Mormon or Jehovah's Witness baptisms wouldn't be valid either, but almost all Protestant baptisms would be. You would like to make it as easy as possible for the baptized person to have their baptismal document accepted.

I understand all of that and I'm not creating my own baptism certificate off of the internet and just making up things. I'm using an official blank United Methodist Certificate that also includes the entirely of the text of our baptismal covenant. However, the UMC has different formats for the certificate and this particular one has an "of" ___________ on it that I'm unfamiliar with since none of the others include it. Based on my inquiries, I will use the city and state of the person who was baptized for this part.

Also, since the baptism did not take place inside or on church property, but at someone's house, I'm not sure if I need to include the house address or stick with the name of the church for the "at" blank. (I figured some Baptists would chime in on this part since they only do baptism by immersion and sometimes in lakes and rivers and whatnot rather than inside of a church sanctuary.) I mean, do they put "the pond near highway 27" or something like that?

chevyontheriver · Jun 1, 2019

bekkilyn said:
I mean, do they put "the pond near highway 27" or something like that?

That would be an interesting level of realism! I suppose that would work, as long as it was clear that it was an official Methodist baptism under a particular locatable Methodist congregation. I think you will do fine.

Joseph Broadfoot · Jun 5, 2019

I was baptised in an elementary school in a land about 6000 miles from where I reside. There was never a certificate. Neither would there have been one when John the Baptist was in his prime. I might well be swinging off of a huge tangent but does anyone else see the point in having to prove your Baptism to anyone? It's before God. And so it is done.

Albion · Jun 5, 2019

circuitrider would know.

Albion · Jun 5, 2019

Joseph Broadfoot said:
I was baptised in an elementary school in a land about 6000 miles from where I reside. There was never a certificate. Neither would there have been one when John the Baptist was in his prime. I might well be swinging off of a huge tangent but does anyone else see the point in having to prove your Baptism to anyone? It's before God. And so it is done.

Not if you some day want membership in some other church and want your baptism to be accepted there.

chevyontheriver · Jun 5, 2019

Joseph Broadfoot said:
I was baptised in an elementary school in a land about 6000 miles from where I reside. There was never a certificate. Neither would there have been one when John the Baptist was in his prime. I might well be swinging off of a huge tangent but does anyone else see the point in having to prove your Baptism to anyone? It's before God. And so it is done.

It is before God. And yet some local church might think you should be baptized to be a member. The certificate would let them know you were already baptized and didn't need to be baptized again. Maybe they should take your word for it. Maybe they would. Some might want to 'trust but verify'. Some might want proof that you were baptized by the 'right' kind of people and not the 'wrong' kind of people, or by immersion, or with the right words. God knows, but the pastor of the local church might find it useful.

Joseph Broadfoot · Jun 5, 2019

chevyontheriver said:
It is before God. And yet some local church might think you should be baptized to be a member. The certificate would let them know you were already baptized and didn't need to be baptized again. Maybe they should take your word for it. Maybe they would. Some might want to 'trust but verify'. Some might want proof that you were baptized by the 'right' kind of people and not the 'wrong' kind of people, or by immersion, or with the right words. God knows, but the pastor of the local church might find it useful.

That's why I like it here because I can get educated without feeling bad. Thank you.

Help with Certificate of Baptism

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