Christenings - are Godparents a requirement?

[MummyBtothree]

I'm just wondering if anybody knows if to have your children Christened, that they have to have Godparents?. Thanks in advance.

We didn't have godparents for either of our children. It was a United Reformed church, if that makes any difference, but I don't think you have to in any of the other denominations either.

If your children are being Christened in a Church of England church then yes you are supposed to have them. You don't need Godparents if someone is being baptised as an adult or teenager though. And obviously as PP says it can be different in other denominations.

See this site or this site for some more info.

Why wouldn't you want your children to have godparents? Is this something you can talk to the minister about?

It's a subject I find difficult talking about but I'm not in touch with what family I have got, for the benefit of myself and our children. I also don't really have any close friends as because of what ive been through in the past, I find it difficult to trust people and form relationships sometimes.

Is there anybody in the church you could ask to be a godparent, someone you look up to that you think would do a good job of it

If you're a member of a church, maybe someone in the congregation might do it, like a sponsor role?

I think you need 2 Godparents in CofE but I'm pretty sure one can be a parent and as someone else suggested a congregation member could act as one- I've seen that happen for a family who didn't have any friends or family in the church and it was moving for the family and the lady who was Godparent

If you are planning to have your baby or child baptised in the Church of England then you need a minimum of two Godparents. One of them can be a parent. Traditionally it is three with two of the same sex as the child. All Godparents have to be baptised.

If you talk to the priest or minister at the church then they will talk it through with you. They might be able to offer someone from the church as a Godparent as a baptism is about starting out in faith. If you want a naming ceremony then a thanksgiving ceremony might be more appropriate. It gives thanks for the birth of the baby and asks for God's blessing on their lives without including all the promises about starting out on a journey of faith that are in the baptism service.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. My boys are 14, 12 and 3 years. We are C of E but I will be honest and say I haven't made it to church for years but it is a baptism we would like and not a naming ceremony.

14 and 12 year olds could probably make promises for themselves and not need Godparents, although I'd speak to the priest before making that assumption.
There is something special about baptism and many (most??) C of E churches will baptise families who don't go to church a lot, although they'll probably have some form of baptism prep, whether that's a chat with the vicar or a group. The vicar may well speak to the older kids too to help them explain what the symbols and promises mean
In the meanwhile you'll certainly be in my prayers as you decide what to do

Dm is my godmother. You could be godmother to yours?

Yes, you do in CofE. I didn't really have anyone for dd so had to wait until a relative was available.

Thank you. I really must get in touch with my local vicar for a chat. I guess the only reason I haven't is because im embarrassed and a bit ashamed to be honest that im estranged from my family and have no real solid friends (aged 37!) but I know I shouldn't be as everything that ive been through in the past is not my doing & can't be changed.

If you are c of e you could perhaps talk to the Vicar about having a thanksgiving for your children? They would be blessed at the end of the usual Sunday service and welcomed in to the church family but you wouldn't require godparents.

Hi there
How are you getting on? I just wanted to say please don't be embarrassed about your situation. You don't need to go into detail with either the clergy or congregation members, just say your friends and family either aren't baptised or aren't religious. Between us, DH and I have many relatives and friends but none who are religious, so it was tough for us! DS has three lovely Godparents who love him and will be there for him but when it comes to helping him follow Christ I'm not so sure, so part of me wishes I'd asked someone from the church to be a Godparent. I hope you find a good solution.

I'm Catholic and you have to be a practising Catholic to baptise your DC. By doing so, you are committing to bringing them up in accordance with the faith. If you don't attend church and practice, then what would be the point in baptism.

Catholics require Godparents who must also be Catholic. Not sure how Cof E differs.

Your 14 and 12 year old would be encouraged to have a believer's baptism, no need for Godparents, and in my CofE church full immersion or pouring is offered. Your 3 old is a few years off that - my reading of the liturgy is that it is Godparents, IF chosen but it would seem some require them. They don't need to have to be Anglicans but given their role is to help you bring your child up to know and love the Lord, having a Christian faith is probably pretty important. I am sure your vicar will be helpful, and maybe if you got yourself back into church, it might be a good place to heal from the hard and horrible things in your past.

Sandy that's not correct for all Catholic Churches, I just organised my second dc's baptism and I have to have one practicing Catholic godparent - check with the church, I'm Catholic but not actively practising and it wasn't a problem. Op, I completely sympathise, my faith's important to me and felt I wanted mine baptised but similarly the god parent selection was trickier than I'd have liked - good luck