Weddings, Baptism, funeral

To be married at St Matthew’s under the 2008 legislation, a couple must be able to answer „YES to at least ONE of the following:

one of you at any time regularly attended public worship in the parish for six months or more?

one of your parents lived in the parish for six months or more in your lifetime?

one of your parents regularly attended public worship there for six months or more in your lifetime?

Booking the date and time for the wedding is an important first step. Please contact one of the clergy to arrange a date. One of the parish clergy will talk with you about the procedures and these notes are simply an “aide-memoire”.

The legal procedures in the Church of England for getting married usually involve the calling of banns. This means that a statement is read out for three consecutive weeks in church stating your names and asking anyone who knows of a legal reason why you should not be married to declare it. The “banns” are called out in the parish church at Saint Matthew’s and the priest there will arrange for this to be done and will also tell you when they are to be called. This is usually over the first three Sundays of the month before the wedding is to take place.

If both parties live in different parishes the banns must be read in both. The responsibility for getting them called in another parish is yours, and this will be explained to you.

Banns are valid for only three months. There is a fee for banns being called at another church. You will need to collect a certificate from that parish to say that the banns have been called and you need to present that to the priest who is taking your wedding.

If neither of you live in St Matthew’s Parish but you worship regularly at Saint Matthew’s, then you should be on the church electoral roll. Banns are then read at Saint Matthew’s as well as the churches of the parish(s) in which you live.

Banns are the only legal procedure with which you have to deal and you do not normally have anything to do with the Registrars office since a priest of the Church of England is an ex-officio registrar. Whilst there are certain particular exceptions to the above rules, they will be explained where applicable.

Once you have made the decision to be married at Saint Matthew’s, you need to contact the Parish Office and request an application for marriage form. It is returning this completed form to the clergy that “books” the day and date of your wedding. Within the three-month period before the wedding you should have an interview with the vicar who is taking your wedding so you can go through the marriage service with him and discuss details of readings, hymns, music etc. A date then has to be fixed for a rehearsal when others taking part will also be involved. This is usually fixed on a date as close to the wedding day as can be managed and is held in church.

During the period between booking the wedding and the interview, you may wish to discuss matters and you are welcome to telephone the clergy. If you wish to print an order of service, it is essential that you discuss this with one of the clergy before going to print. You may find that the best time to have a word with the clergy or to speak with the organist or choirmaster is after worship on a Sunday morning.

This service is for those who have had a civil wedding such as in a registry office, or other licensed wedding venue and would like to dedicate themselves to God and each other in a church.

To check availability, or book your dedication service at the Parish Church of St. Matthew's, Worthing please contact the Parish Administrator .

Why do Anglicans baptize babies? It is a question I am asked quite often, especially as it seems the default position of evangelicals today that infant baptism is clearly unbiblical and baptism is only legitimate when adults make a commitment of faith to Christ. I beg to differ. In fact, most denominations in church history, for most of the time, have practised infant baptism. Why?

Baptism is not what we do for God, but what He does for us. This is part of what is called covenant theology and mirrors the covenant between God and his people through circumcision in the Old Testament. One of the great Reformation rediscoveries was the need for personal faith in Christ. However, in this day and age we are in dire need of the opposite as well: a corporate commitment to God and to one another in an age when community is declining. Infant baptism says precisely that. We are God’s people and children are included. One of the arguments against adult baptism is its weakness on the position of children. Dedication of infants (which is Biblical but for a few special cases rather than for all infants) does not bring the infant into the body of Christ.

Then there are the cases of the baptisms of whole households in the book of Acts (Acts 16:15 and 33; the households of Lydia and the Philippian jailer). Whilst children are not specifically mentioned, it is almost inevitable that there were children involved (even if they were the children of slaves). They were all baptized through the authority of the head of the household, rather than their own, personal commitment. These two examples are sufficient for me to believe that infant baptism was practised in the New Testament.

Many will say that infant baptism has been abused in the Anglican church, and I agree that has happened. However, that is not an argument against the proper practice of infant baptism. Baptism is not “Christianizing”, if that means the child is now a Christian. Rather the baby is under the grace of God, through the believing parents, until he or she can make their own decision. Others object that many babies do not become Christians later. True; but (sadly) many adult baptized believers slip away. Neither occurrence should prevent baptism. Parents and godparents have the duty to bring the child up knowing about and trusting in Jesus. Some parents argue they want their children to make up their own minds when they are old enough. That is a legitimate argument for non-Christians, but not for Christians. Surely we long for our children to know for themselves the most wonderful thing in life?

The argument about infant baptism is an old one, and Christians have learned to be in fellowship with one another with different beliefs. There is no obligation to have a child baptized in St. Matthew’s, and we happily and readily offer thanksgivings as a lovely marking before God of the new life. But we believe that infant baptism is the best plan laid down for children under God, and encourage all new parents in the church to consider baptism for their child.

I have deliberately said nothing about the need for immersion. Another discussion for another day!

To check availability, or book your baptism service at the Parish Church of St. Matthew's, Worthing please contact the Parish Administrator .

To check availability, or book a funeral service at the Parish Church of St. Matthew's, Worthing please contact the Parish Administrator .

Wedding Extras.

Verger.	£ 25.00	Terms & Conditions
Organist.	£50.00	Terms & Conditions
Decoration of the church with Flowers.	£ Price on application.	Terms & Conditions
Hire of Hall or Church for reception (Please include setup time).	£15.00 per hour.	Terms & Conditions

Dedication Service following a Civil wedding.

£200.00

Terms & Conditions

Baptism Service

Baptism Service	£ Free	Terms & Conditions
Baptism Certificate (Given at the time of the service)	£12.00	Terms & Conditions
Baptism Certificate (Short certificate given under sect 2, Baptismal Registers Measure 1961)	£9.00	Terms & Conditions

Reading of Banns.	£22.00	Terms & Conditions
Banns Certificate (Issued at time of publication).	£12.00	Terms & Conditions
Wedding Service.	£260.00	Terms & Conditions
Wedding Certificate (Issued at service).	£3.50	Terms & Conditions