What Exactly does it mean to be Confirmed?

By The Reverend Canon Christopher J.  Hackett

Confirmation is defined in the prayer book as a mature public affirmation of faith and commitment to the responsibilities of Baptism. Traditionally, it is seen as the sacramental rite of joining the Episcopal Church and the larger Anglican Communion. You might have noticed a large number of adults being “received” into the church. The Episcopal church has changed its perspective; before we only received Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians into our communion, and we confirmed everyone else from other denominations, such as Baptist, Methodist, etc. Now all adults who have been baptized in different traditions are to be received into the communion. Theologically, this is affirming the validity of other denominations’ mature public affirmations of faith.