Child dedication

A child dedication or baby presentation is an act of consecration of children to God practiced in evangelical churches, such as those of the Baptist tradition, as well as organisations, such as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. It is analogous to the older practice among Catholics, Lutherans, and Anglicans of the churching of women.

Christian Churches

Origin

The child's presentation has its origin in the Book of Exodus in chapter 13 verse 2; "Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal".[1] The Bible relates some presentations of children. That of Samuel, in the Old Testament by Hannah.[2][3] And especially the presentation of Jesus in the Temple in the New Testament by Joseph and Mary.[4] Likewise, Jesus blessed children.[5]

History

In 1609, the Baptist movement taught that baptism is for adults (believers' baptism) according to their understanding of this practice in the Bible.[6] The children's presentation thus developed in parallel with this movement and was widely spread in Baptist churches and in all Evangelical movements in the 20th century.[7]

Form

The form of the presentations may vary by church. The ceremony is usually performed before or after the Worship service of Sunday.[8] When the parents have come forward with the child, the pastor presents it to the congregation, or asks the parents to do so.[9] Most often, the pastor asks parents to say orally their commitment to raising the child in the Christian faith.[10] This public commitment is followed by one or more prayers and a blessing by the pastor, often after the latter has taken the child into his arms.[11] The purpose of the presentation is to express the recognition of parents and the church of the divine gift of birth and the responsibility of parents that results from it.[12]

Woman's Christian Temperance Union

The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) conducts a White Ribbon Recruit (WRR) ceremony, in which babies are dedicated to the cause of temperance through a white ribbon being tied to their wrists, with their adult sponsors pledging to help the child live a life free from alcohol and other drugs.[13]

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See also

References
  1. Exodus 13:2 (NIV), , "Consecration of the Firstborn", Accessed May 2019
  2. 1 Samuel 1:20-28
  3. Don S. Browning, Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, Children and Childhood in American Religions, Rutgers University Press, USA, 2009, p. 88
  4. Luke 2:22.
  5. Luke 18:16.
  6. Robert E. Johnson, A Global Introduction to Baptist Churches, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2010, p. 56
  7. Stephen R. Holmes, Baptist Theology, A&C Black, UK, 2012, p. 145
  8. David Blankenhorn, The Faith Factor in Fatherhood: Renewing the Sacred Vocation of Fathering, Lexington Books, USA, 1999, p. 103
  9. John H. Y. Briggs, the Dictionarys of European Baptist Life and Thought, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2009, p. 81
  10. Don S. Browning, Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, Children and Childhood in American Religions, Rutgers University Press, USA, 2009, p. 88
  11. Stephen R. Holmes, Baptist Theology, A&C Black, UK, 2012, p. 145
  12. David Blankenhorn, The Faith Factor in Fatherhood: Renewing the Sacred Vocation of Fathering, Lexington Books, USA, 1999, p. 103
  13. Rollins, Christin Eleanor (2005). "Have You Heard The Tramping of the New Crusade?: Organizational Survival and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. University of Georgia. p. 52.

Content in this edit is translated from the existing French Wikipedia article at fr: Présentation d'enfant; see its history for attribution.

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