18/08/2026
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๐๐ฎ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ, ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐
๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ
To: All Pastors, Deaconesses, Local Church Leaders, and Church Workers
From: The Bishop
Subject: Guidelines on Baptism, Wedding, Funeral, and Related Pastoral Ministries
Date: August 15, 2026
Effective: Immediately
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Grace and peace in Christ Jesus!
As United Methodists, we recognize that the ministries of Baptism, Holy Matrimony, and theService of Death and Resurrection are sacred acts of worship and pastoral care. They are expressions of Godโs grace, the ministry of the Church, and our covenant to accompany peopleat significant moments of life. These guidelines are therefore offered not merely as administrative requirements but as apastoral framework for faithful, orderly, compassionate, and equitable ministry. Pastors andlocal churches are encouraged to exercise pastoral sensitivity while maintaining the connectional standards, liturgical practices, and policies of The United Methodist Church and the directives of the Annual Conference.
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1. Baptism is encouraged to be administered on Sundays. UMC theology views baptism as an initiation into Christโs holy Church and the local faith community. Therefore, UMC practices strongly prefer celebrating it during Sunday congregational worship.
2. When, due to unavoidable circumstances, baptism must be administered on anotherday, a member or representative of the congregation shall be present to signify that baptism is an act of the Church and not merely a private ceremony.
3. Requiring a member to be present for non-Sunday baptisms perfectly aligns with UMC policy. The congregation must vow to surround the baptized person with love and grace.
4. When baptism is administered outside Sunday congregational worship, the newly baptized person shall be presented to the congregation during the nearest succeeding Sunday worship service, whenever reasonably possible, for the congregation to formally receive him/her and affirm its congregational pledge to nurture, support, and accompany the baptized person in the Christian faith.
5. Baptismal rite shall be officiated after Sermon: This matches the official United Methodist liturgy layout. The Word is proclaimed first, and the Sacrament of Holy Baptism follows as a direct response to that Word.
6. No Collection Policy. In the UMC, baptism is a visible sign of Godโs free, unearnedgift of grace (prevenient grace). Charging a fee or distributing offering envelopes during abaptism is strictly forbidden because grace cannot be bought or sold. No offering envelope shall be distributed during the baptismal service.
7. Baptism is a sacrament of the Church and shall therefore be administered freely and faithfully as an expression of Godโs grace.
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1. In Conformity, Local and Conference Prevalence: UMC structure is connectional but honors local administrative contexts. Pastors have the ultimate right and responsibility to solemnize marriages, but they must follow guidelines set by The Book of Discipline and their specific Annual Conference or local church councils. Pastors shall ensure that couples receive appropriate pastoral preparation and that all ecclesiastical requirements are duly observed.
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1. Funeral ministry is a ministry of the Church and shall be provided free of charge. It is an expression of Christian compassion, pastoral care, and solidarity with the bereaved.
2. Conducting a Service of Death and Resurrection is a fundamental pastoral duty and should never be treated as a commercial transaction.
3. Any voluntary offering received in connection with the funeral may remain with the local church or may be given to the bereaved family, as determined by the established policyand practice of the local church or respective districts.
4. Funeral and burial services may be conducted on Sundays, but shall not be scheduled during the regular Divine Worship Service. When necessary, such services should be scheduled before or after the worship service.
5. Burial services are encouraged to be conducted on weekdays. When circumstances require a Sunday burial, the regular worship service and the participation of the congregation in Divine Worship shall not be compromised.
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1. Where an existing policy of the local church, District, or Annual Conference governs baptism, wedding, funeral, or burial services, such policy shall be observed, provided that it is consistent with the Book of Discipline and other governing policies of The United MethodistChurch.
2. Pastors and church leaders are expected to exercise pastoral sensitivity, fairness, transparency, and good stewardship in implementing these guidelines.
3. At the conclusion of an appointment, every pastor shall properly endorse all church records, pastoral responsibilities, sacramental records, and ongoing ministries to the newly appointed pastor.
4. All pastors and church leaders are enjoined to communicate these guidelines clearly totheir respective congregations and ensure their faithful implementation.
These directives are issued not merely as administrative requirements but as an expression ofour calling to be a gracious, faithful, and sacramental Church. Let every baptism proclaim Godโs grace, every wedding witness to covenant love, and every funeral embody the hope and compassion of Christ.
May we conduct these ministries with integrity, pastoral care, simplicity, and Christian love, always remembering that we are servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. โAs each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of Godโs variedgrace.โ โ 1 Peter 4:10
For faithful implementation and strict compliance.
