pilgrim,

All conversative Lutheran churches require both the assurance of a valid baptism AND a valid public profession of grace alone, faith alone, and Christ alone as prerequisites for membership and Holy Communion.

It is interesting I, a Lutheran, agree with Calvin on the validity of baptism; whereas, you, a Calvinist, do not agree with Calvin. With Calvin, I accept the validity of baptisms perform by the cult of the AntiChrist (since they do not change Christ's institution) but I reject the validity of baptisms performed by Reform (UCC) and Lutheran (ELCA) cults who baptism in the name of some feminist modalist deity.

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At any rate, it is clear that the writings of prominent ELCA theologians raise doubts about whether they retain the trinitarian faith, even where they retain the trinitarian name. Overall, however, it seems that most ELCA congregations and pastors baptize in the triune name with the intention of baptizing in the name of the Triune God and that we should continue to regard their baptism as genuine. However, whenever some other formula has been substituted for "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," the baptism is at best doubtful. For this reason the person in question should be baptized in the name of the "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." This is true whether the substitution has been an outright rejection of the Father and Son as when terms like Mother and Sister are substituted, or the substitution uses functional terms like "Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier."

The Sacraments of the ELCA: Are they Valid?, John F. Brug, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Note: My apologies to the RCA and this forum. I had previously entered RCA in lieu of UCC.

Last edited by speratus; Tue Oct 26, 2004 5:30 PM.