Dating with Different Denominations

RomansFiveEight said:

We do believers baptism too; we just don't use any water, we call it Confirmation, and it's preceded by months of theological education and service!

I think Confirmation is an important reminder. For Methodists; Baptism isn't a "once and done", it's a lifetime thing. We don't rebaptize, for the same reason we DO confirm. Baptism is God saying "yes". Throughout our lives, we'll have opportunities to say "yes" in return. Confirmation is one of those times, and for some, the first time. Confirmation often occurs at about the point kids in other denominations would be Baptized. It uses the same liturgy; and I like to remind them that they are claiming their Baptism for themselves.

Click to expand...

I like the metaphor. But for us Confirmation is not a sacrament. Sometimes I wonder if it should be? I think, using Wesley's idea of ordinary and extraordinary means of grace, I'd certainly consider confirmation a means of Grace.

Lindz54GD said:

I want us to be the same denomination and attend only one church together so when we decide to get married and start a family, we can be united in our faith together and our kids won't get dragged to 2 very different churches and possibly get confused.

Click to expand...

Without wanting to get into all the doctrinal arguments, I thought I might be able to add something helpful here.

My husband and I belong to different denominations. Our daughter is sometimes in his church and sometimes in mine. I don't see this producing confusion for her so much as enrichment; she has the benefit of learning from different traditions, amongst different people, and later on when she makes a decision for herself about where to belong, she will have a better basis on which to do so than many of her peers. (At least, that's how I see it).

It helps that my husband and I agree on most of the big things in faith; the only thing which has been at all an issue is that his denomination does not do infant baptism and mine does; but we agreed that we wanted her baptism to be something we could both support, so we have waited to baptise her. That bothers me more than I thought it would, but I can live with it.

Maybe have a look at the potential positives of your situation, as well as the potential negatives?

RomansFiveEight said:

we call it Confirmation, and it's preceded by months of theological education and service!

Click to expand...

Is this similar to Lutherans? I know that when studying that denomination, they would have a class before becoming a member of the church.

As for myself, I did not have any class or service before baptism/being accepted as an official member of the Methodist church.

JCFantasy23 said:

Is this similar to Lutherans? I know that when studying that denomination, they would have a class before becoming a member of the church.

As for myself, I did not have any class or service before baptism/being accepted as an official member of the Methodist church.

Click to expand...

From what I gather from my Lutheran colleagues, very similar. However to be technical, in the UMC you become a church member at your baptism. Confirmation makes you a "professing member." But all baptized persons are members of the Church.

circuitrider said:

From what I gather from my Lutheran colleagues, very similar. However to be technical, in the UMC you become a church member at your baptism. Confirmation makes you a "professing member." But all baptized persons are members of the Church.

Click to expand...

Ditto for Lutherans -- at least in the ELCA.