Difference between revisions of "Closed communion"
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*[[Jehovah's Witnesses]] | *[[Jehovah's Witnesses]] | ||
| − | Technically Churches of Christ practice closed communion as it is restricted only to members | + | Technically Churches of Christ practice closed communion as it is restricted only to those who are members of the Church of Christ; however, in practice the churches leave it to individual attendees (members and visitors) to decide whether or not to participate, and therefore the practice is more in line with open communion. |
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 02:05, February 6, 2018
Closed communion is the practice in some Christian churches of offering communion (also known as Holy Eucharist or Lord's Supper) only to members of the same or similar denomination (or more restrictively to only members of the specific congregation). The reason for practicing closed communion is generally because of differing beliefs about the meaning and nature of Holy Communion that exist among denominations.
Churches that practice closed communion
- Catholic Church: The Roman Catholic Church normally restricts communion to Catholics in good standing (i.e. not in mortal sin and not excommunicated). On certain occasions members of other churches with valid holy orders and identical beliefs about the Eucharist are admitted to communion.
- Some Baptists (mainly Independent Baptists)
- Conservative Mennonites, Old Order Mennonites, Amish
- Confessional Lutherans
Technically Churches of Christ practice closed communion as it is restricted only to those who are members of the Church of Christ; however, in practice the churches leave it to individual attendees (members and visitors) to decide whether or not to participate, and therefore the practice is more in line with open communion.