Four churches, in their own words
How each tradition introduces baptism on its own pages, in this guide’s words with each church’s own terms kept. They appear in alphabetical order, here and on every page.
Anglican
The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne calls baptism “a sacrament where God is at work”. It describes “an outward and visible sign” of God’s inward, invisible action: the person makes promises about how they seek to live, and is then washed in the waters of baptism.
As set out by Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, Baptisms
Baptist
The Baptist Churches of NSW & ACT call baptism “an ordinance of the Lord Jesus Christ”, and a public declaration of a person’s own faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
As set out by Baptist Churches of NSW & ACT, Beliefs & Statements
Catholic
The Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane calls baptism “the first of the Church’s sacraments”, which welcomes a person into a Christian community and incorporates them into the Church.
As set out by Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane, Baptism
Uniting
The Uniting Church in Australia describes Baptism as a sign of new life through Jesus, which unites a person with Christ and with the people of God.
As set out by Uniting Church in Australia, Our faith
The words each church uses
The same ceremony is named and described in different terms. These are the terms as the churches’ own pages use them.
- Sacrament
-
The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne calls baptism “a sacrament where God is at work”. The Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane calls it “the first of the Church’s sacraments”, and the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne lists Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist together as the “Sacraments of Initiation”. The Uniting Church calls baptism “the first of two Sacraments the Uniting Church celebrates”.
- Ordinance
-
The Baptist Churches of NSW & ACT call baptism “an ordinance of the Lord Jesus Christ”. The Baptist Union of Victoria’s doctrinal basis names “two ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ”: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
- Godparent and sponsor
-
A trial-use service of the Anglican Church of Australia, for baptisms where none of the candidates can answer for themselves, invites “the sponsors” to stand and speaks of “Parents and godparents”. The Archdiocese of Brisbane says “godparent”; the Catholic Church’s Code of Canon Law says “sponsor”. More on godparents and sponsors.
- Immersion and pouring
-
The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne describes being washed “by sprinkling with or immersing in water which has been blessed”. The Code of Canon Law says baptism “is to be conferred either by immersion or by pouring”. The Baptist Churches of NSW & ACT hold that baptism “should be administered only by total immersion”.
- Confirmation
-
The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne says that when a person has been baptised as a child, the normal practice is confirmation “by the Bishop or Archbishop” later on. The Uniting Church describes Confirmation as a chance for people baptised as infants or children “to reaffirm their faith as adults”.
- Font
-
The Code of Canon Law says “Every parish church is to have a baptismal font”. In the Catholic rite as the Archdiocese of Brisbane describes it, a baptismal candle “is lit from the paschal candle beside the font”.
- Christening
-
The Anglican Diocese of Adelaide’s baptism page carries both words in its title: “Anglican Baptism Adelaide | Welcoming Christenings”.
Six pages
- Infant baptism in the Anglican Church
What the service asks of parents and godparents, step by step.
- Believers’ baptism and immersion
What two Baptist associations say about baptising believers by immersion.
- Baptism in the Catholic Church
Water, oil, the white garment and the candle: the four key symbols, as the Archdiocese of Brisbane names them.
- Baptism in the Uniting Church
What the Basis of Union says baptism is, and who is baptised.
- Godparents and sponsors
Who may stand with a child, as each church’s pages put it.
- Arranging a baptism
Where each church says to begin, and the usual steps after that.
How this guide is written
Each description is drawn from a page the church itself publishes: an Anglican or Catholic diocese, a state Baptist association, the Uniting Church’s national Assembly, the Anglican Church of Australia’s published services, or the Catholic Church’s Code of Canon Law. The descriptions are in this guide’s own words, with the page linked beside them and only a church’s short phrases in quotation marks. Each church’s terms are kept as it uses them: sacrament where a church says sacrament, ordinance where it says ordinance.
The four traditions appear in alphabetical order throughout. Their descriptions sit side by side, and none is weighed against another. The guide speaks for no church, parish or congregation.
Practice also differs within a tradition. The Archdiocese of Brisbane says the local parish can tell you more about how baptism is celebrated in your own community, and Australian Baptist Ministries says “Each Baptist church and organisation is autonomous”. Where a page here describes one diocese or association, it names it.