Membership at All Saints

Why do we have two kinds of membership?

At All Saints, we know and accept that the church has many expressions and traditions and seek to practice “mere Christianity” by welcoming those who commit to our local fellowship of believers but are not ready to be Anglican. So for those who identify with us as a local expression of the universal, catholic church, we offer Committed Membership. The primary thing being committed to with this kind of membership is following Jesus and his way of the cross with others at All Saints. We also ask our Committed members to read over the Fundamental Declarations of our province and the Jerusalem Declaration. Not all Committed members may be ready or able to say a rousing “yes!” to every principle in these documents, we recognize that. We simply never want what we believe to be a surprise to someone who has made a commitment to our parish.

And for those who are ready to embrace the fullness of the Anglican way, we also offer Confirmed membership. Becoming a Confirmed member means you are ready to say “yes” to all seven of the Fundamental Declarations of the ACNA, and are able to uphold the Jerusalem Declaration as a “formulary” of faithful belief and practice. In addition to being welcomed to All Saints as a new member during a regular Sunday worship service, Confirmed members also participate in a confirmation service where they are confirmed by our bishop. Simply put: when you become a Confirmed member, you are ready to join not only All Saints as a local parish, but also the Anglican church as a global communion.

FAQ’s about Membership

What steps do I take to become a member?

Membership at All Saints is all about the three C’s: 1) Class - Take our Basics of Belonging class; 2) Commitment - Fill out our membership commitment form when you’re ready to join; and 3) Celebrate - come to our new member celebration Sunday so we can liturgically welcome you to All Saints!

Is there a different path to membership for those who want to be Confirmed members?

No. Everyone who wishes to join All Saints does so by following the three C’s above. All members, even if they intend to become a Confirmed Member, must first be Committed.

Is there any functional difference between Committed and Confirmed members?

At this point in our parish life, no. It is common, however, for Anglican churches to require those who wish to serve in leadership (parish council, for example) to be confirmed. We anticipate moving that direction in the future, but for now, there is no functional difference.

What is confirmation?

In the rite of Confirmation, Christians reaffirm and renew our baptismal vows and publicly affirm our faith in Jesus and our intention to live as his disciples and members of his church. Youth who were baptized as infants go through a program of catechesis to prepare them for confirmation, and adults can be confirmed to be welcomed into the worldwide Anglican communion. Confirmation requires participation in our Basics of Belief class.

Is a different service held to welcome Confirmed members?

No, even if you plan to be confirmed, you are still welcomed as a new member of All Saints at our new member celebration service. However, we usually hold a special confirmation service once a year. To be a Confirmed member, you would also participate in this special service (not on the same Sunday as our new member welcome service). The confirmation service is from a rite in our Prayer Book that is led by one of our bishops.

If you have questions regarding confirmation or getting enrolled in one of our Basics classes, please email allsaintswaco@gmail.com.