April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
UNUSUAL PROGRAM
Ecumenical witnesses stand up at other denominations' baptisms
The latter episode, which occurred at the First United Methodist Church of Voorheesville, "was astounding, really," said Mary Ellen Colfer of Blessed Sacrament parish in Albany, who has been involved in the Ecumenical Witnesses of Baptism program since 1995. "To me, that was the epitome of what this [program] is."
Participants in the program, overseen by the ecumenical Capital Area Council of Churches, attend baptisms at churches of various denominations to show recognition for the validity of the sacrament and to encourage dialogue, understanding and friendship, according to Kitt Jackson, administrative director of the CACC.
Ecumenical Witnesses of Baptism started in the mid-1990s in response to a 1982 international document outlining common agreements between the Catholic Church and major Protestant denominations on baptism, the Eucharist and ministry.
Program begins
To further promote Christian unity, the CACC adapted a model developed by two Schenectady churches - St. John the Baptist parish, now closed, and Union Presbyterian - and began forming teams of Christians of different denominations to attend baptisms as witnesses.
"It's a neat thing to visit the other churches and realize how much we have in common and yet see the differences," said Ms. Jackson, who's learned that "the body of Christ is more than your local congregation."
Today, the program has 20 to 40 volunteers, each of whom attends at least two baptisms a year. In 2012, 26 witnesses from seven denominations attended three dozen baptisms in 14 churches.
Deacon Ray Sullivan got St. Francis of Assisi parish in Albany involved when he became parish life director there in 2011. He initially used the Ecumenical Witnesses of Baptism program as an option for interfaith couples baptizing a child.
"It's a beautiful effect," he said. "The non-Catholic really feels buoyed up because you're recognizing the fact that they are Christian."
The first baby whose baptism was witnessed by CACC volunteers will graduate from high school this year.
We're here
The host church determines what role the witnesses play, whether it's simply being a presence or reading during the service. The witnesses sign a card that's presented along with the baptismal certificate.
"Some people are so struck by that," Mrs. Colfer said. "The whole congregation learns from it and benefits, too. We all have one faith, one baptism and one Lord."
The scriptural grounding for the baptism witness program is plentiful, Mrs. Colfer pointed out; Christ issued "an order: 'Go and make disciples and baptize them.'"
Participants gather every January to swap stories and introduce the program to new pastors and potential volunteers.
Story-telling
Mrs. Colfer always has encounters to share - like the time she discovered there would be a confirmation with the Episcopal bishop on the same day she was witnessing a baptism at St. George's Episcopal Church in Clifton Park, or the time St. George's partnered with nearby Prince of Peace Lutheran Church to celebrate a baptism.
"We had, like, three layers of ecumenical activity," she said with a laugh.
A retired librarian and faith formation coordinator, Mrs. Colfer delights in seeing how the sacrament is celebrated by different denominations: The pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Voorheesville blesses water from a stream before every baptism; Bethany Baptist Church in Albany incorporates testimonies from parishioners into services.
Mrs. Colfer checks out the churches' architecture; she was surprised to learn that many city churches have formal parlors with grand pianos. She also likes meeting people, reading bulletins and hearing homilies.
Sometimes, the homilies are so compelling that Mrs. Colfer makes an effort to go to Mass on Saturday and return to the other church on Sunday morning.
"I get a sense of the body of Christ," she said. "It's alive and well."[[In-content Ad]]
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