NAZARENE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
PROPAGATING A CONGREGATIONAL HOLINESS IDENTITY THROUGH
BAPTISMAL CONFIRMATION
A Project Submitted to the Seminary Faculty In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement For the Degree of
DOCTOR OF MINISTRY
By
John Victor Megyesi
Kansas City, Missouri May 1, 2010
PROPAGATING A CONGREGATIONAL HOLINESS IDENTITY THROUGH
BAPTISMAL CONFIRMATION
Copyright 2010, John V. Megyesi
All rights reserved. Nazarene Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction.
ABSTRACT
Engaging both the sacramental commitment and diversity of baptismal practices within the Church of the Nazarene, this study pursues the development of a local congregation's receptivity of a further ritual of confirmation. Through the experience of Lowell First Church of the Nazarene, this study offers a proactive methodology for determining the potential and need for introducing such a further worship practice. Offering educational opportunities and practical resources for bridging Nazarene practices and ecclesiological understandings, this project communicates the possibility that a pastoral opportunity for education in worship preparation and practices can combine with the congregation's personal understandings and experiences to nurture a healthy congregational holiness identity.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONSx
GLOSSARYxi
CHAPTER 1 CELEBRATING 106 YEARS WITHOUT A CONFIRMATION
RITUAL: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY1
Project Introduction1
The Need4
Project Intentions7
Key Terms10
Project Methodology13
Research Intentions13
Summary of Project Methodology14
Method Limitations15
Project Implications for Ministry17
Subsequent Chapters19
Chapter 2: Listening to our Methodist Heritage: Precedents in
Literature19
Chapter 3: Pro-Active Implementation within the Congregational
Worship System: Research Design20
Chapter 4: Charting our Spiritual Story: Research Data and Results..20
Chapter 5: Growing into our Identity: Summary and Conclusions21
CHAPTER 2 CONFIRMATION'S HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND CURRENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR ITS INTRODUCTION INTO THE
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CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE: PRECEDENTS IN LITERATURE22
The Christian Mission of the Church of the Nazarene23
Baptismal Belief and Practice in the Church of the Nazarene23
Historical Relationship of Baptism and Confirmation30
The First Century Church30
The Sixth Century - The Council of Orange32
The Thirteenth Century - Aquinas' Influence34
The Sixteenth Century - The Protestant Reformation and the Council ofTrent35
The Eighteenth Century - John Wesley's Methodism40
Considerations of a Confirmation Ritual for Introduction into the Church ofthe Nazarene43
Connecting Confirmation to Catechesis43
Baptism and Confirmation as a Ritual Process45
Introducing Confirmation to the Church of the Nazarene from the Experienceof a Local Congregation46
Approaching Change47
Gathering for Change50
Conclusion: the Influence of Collecting Personally Historic Understandings of Baptism and Confirmation in the Lowell First Church Congregation 51
CHAPTER 3 PRO-ACTIVE IMPLEMENTATION WITHIN THE
CONGREGATIONAL WORSHIP SYSTEM: RESEARCH DESIGN54
Observing the Lowell First Church Congregation55
Studying Lowell First Church58
Congregational Survey59
Confirmation Sermon Series66
Easter Baptisms and Confirmations69
Personal Narratives and Responses71
Summary72
CHAPTER 4 CHARTING LOWELL FIRST CHURCH'S SPIRITUAL STORY:RESEARCH DATA AND RESULTS74
Survey74
Sermon Series I of III75
Demographics, Part I of II75
Frequency of Religious Practices77
Sermon Series II of III80
Religious Involvement80
Church of the Nazarene Agreement83
Congregational Relation Ties, Part I of II84
Sermon Series III of III88
Demographics, Part II of II88
Congregational Relation Ties, Part II of II90
Worship Practices92
Interviews98
Interview Case Study #199
Interview Case Study #2102
Interview Case Study #3105
Worship Service108
Confirmation Preparation Conversation108
Data Summary111
CHAPTER 5 GROWING INTO OUR IDENTITY: SUMMARY AND
CONCLUSIONS113
Major Conclusions of the Project113
First Major Conclusion: Intentional Pastoral Education of the
Congregation is Necessary114
Second Major Conclusion: Intentional Pastoral Care and Spiritual
Direction of the Congregation is Necessary115
Third Major Conclusion: A Confirmation Ritual is Needed116
Fourth Major Conclusion: New Language may be Needed116
Building Upon These Conclusions117
Evaluating and Interpreting the Conclusions118
Survey118
Sermon Series131
In-Parish Committee Dialogue133
Video Interviews134
Worship Service136
Study Implications Resulting in Revisions to Lowell First Church's OngoingPractice of Ministry138
Theological Reflections139
Further Prescriptions142
Methodological Recommendations144
Unexpected Study Conclusions146
Project Summary149
APPENDIX A CONGREGATIONAL SURVEY151
APPENDIX B CONFIRMATION SERMON SERIES GRAPHICAL
INFORMATION - ORIGINAL POWERPOINT SLIDES WITH LATERGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS160
APPENDIX C PROTOCOL FOR CONFIRMATION PREPARATION
CONVERSATION205
APPENDIX D LOWELL FIRST CHURCH SAMPLE INFANT BAPTISM
CERTIFICATE206
APPENDIX E LOWELL FIRST CHURCH SAMPLE BELIEVER'S BAPTISMCERTIFICATE208
APPENDIX F LOWELL FIRST CHURCH SAMPLE CONFIRMATION
CERTIFICATE210
APPENDIX G INTERVIEW PROTOCOL212
APPENDIX H LOWELL FIRST CHURCH SERVICE OF INFANT BAPTISM..214
APPENDIX I LOWELL FIRST CHURCH SAMPLE BAPTISM WITH
CONFIRMATION RITUAL221
WORKS CITED229
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
LFC-Lowell First Church
RC-Roman Catholicism
UCC-United Church of Christ
UMC-United Methodist Church
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GLOSSARY
Body of Christ: Using Robert Jenson's definition: "That the church is the body of Christ, in Paul's and our sense, means that she is the object in the world as which the risen Christ is an object for the world, an available something as which Christ is there to be addressed and grasped."1 Simply put, the body of Christ is the people of God living the narrative of God's eternal love story.
Community of Faith: The gathered body of believers, both the not-yet baptized and the already baptized, ranging in Christian experience from all extremes, particularly gathered as one congregation in one location.
Infant Baptism: As distinct from the tradition and ritual of infant dedication. A sacramental experience of God's grace offered and celebrated within the life of a young child (often including children up until age 5). The place of such a sacrament within the life of the community will be discussed in detail later.
Catechism: The preparatory process of introducing one to the Christian life and doctrine.
Catholic/catholic: The distinction of those who either participate in the Roman Catholic Church, and those who belong by virtue of any Christian faith, to the larger universal Church of Jesus Christ. The word "universal" may be employed exclusively by some Christian groups to reference all Christians worldwide to avoid using the language of catholicity.
Confirmation: To be defined in this study and reviewed as having had many
meanings, however used in the context of Lowell First Church to reference a ritual offered to a believer confirming their personal faith following their corporate reception in faith through baptism (predominantly through infant baptism).
1 Robert W. Jenson, Systematic Theology. V. 2. The Works of God (New York: Oxford Univ Pr, 1999), 213.
Congregational (family) System: The larger dynamics of a local congregation that replicates the structure of a single family in regard to traditions, beliefs, and approaches to daily living.
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Holiness Identity: A particular corporate understanding and its evidences of spiritual maturity and process flowing from the theological understandings of the Church of the Nazarene.
Holiness Theology: A similar view of God, likewise flowing from the theological understandings of the Church of the Nazarene.
Liturgy: The sustained expression and life of the Church from which doctrine flows.2
Rebaptism: A Reformational and pastorally pragmatic practice of rebaptizing a believer who was baptized as an infant or child.
Ritual: Organized social event that marks various social and spiritual changes.3
Narrative Theology: A particular way of knowing God relationally through
present, historical and biblical narratives; in this case with special care to remain keenly within the narrative established by orthodox biblical interpretation, creedal statements, doctrinal practices and a Wesleyan-Arminian systematic theology of the Church.
Nazarene Ecclesiology: A developing understanding within the Church of the Nazarene of our nature and purpose as the Church.
2Aidan Kavanagh, On Liturgical Theology (New York: Pueblo, 1984), 7.
3Jean Holm and John Bowker, eds., Rites of Passage,
