# church membership for mentally handicapped



## bravebee (Aug 14, 2008)

What do you do with an adult who is severly retarded, whose family is coming for membership. They would like this individual to be baptized and received into membership as well.

This individual is impaired enough that they cannot make any kind of profession of faith.

Woud you:
1. Baptize as you would an infant (as in the household baptism of the Philippian jailer)
2. Baptize and admit into membership
3. Refuse baptism or membership
4. Other

Any precedent would be helpful, and scripture-backed opinions would be appreciated.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Aug 14, 2008)

WCF Chapter 10

Of Effectual Calling

_...so also are all other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word._


> [14] 1JO 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. ACT 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.


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## Southern Presbyterian (Aug 14, 2008)

By "received into membership" do you mean "communing member"?

My children were baptized and received into membership but were not communing members. I believe this is the biblical practice.

* We became Presbyterians when they were 7 and 9 years old. *


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## bravebee (Aug 14, 2008)

I understand how such may or may not be elect, but my question is what we do with them in regard to church membership.

Typically we baptize infants as non-communing members. Upon their profession of faith, we receive them in to communing membership. Adults who come for baptism or membership do so on their profession of faith. This is a unique (at least to us) situation of an individual who cannot (and will never be able to) make such a profession.


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## Presbyterian Deacon (Aug 14, 2008)

Southern Presbyterian said:


> By "received into membership" do you mean "communing member"?



I would think that it would be acceptable to recieve such a person as a "covenant member" (based upon the "household baptism" principle), but do not think it appropriate to recieve him into communicant membership as he would be unable to "discern the Lord's Body."


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## TimV (Aug 14, 2008)

My 11 year old has Down's, and takes communion. If you ask him "Do you love God" he says yes.


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