Menu Baptisms In this section Everyone in England lives within a Church of England parish and, as such, is eligible for baptism in the Church of England. If you are thinking of having your child baptised, or of being baptised yourself, you will first need to speak to the vicar of your local parish. Follow this link to find your local church. Preparing for baptism Your parish priest will ask you to undertake some preparation for baptism and to attend the church for a period before the service, whether it is you or your child being baptised. This is so that you can find out more about the Christian faith and what it means to be a member of the Church family. Having your child baptised, or being their godparent, comes with responsibilities, as you are asked to make promises on their behalf to help them to grow up in the Christian faith. However, you are not expected to bear this responsibility alone: the Church community promises to help them too. The Church of England hopes that, together, parents, godparents and the Church community will nurture the growing child so that in time they will want to make a commitment to the Christian faith themselves through confirmation. Adult baptism You may have come to faith and be seeking to be baptised later in life. If so, your local parish priest can help you to find out more about what it means to be baptised and confirmed as a full member of the Church as an adult. The Church of England also provides information on adult baptism and renewing baptismal vows at: churchofengland.org/life-events/adult-baptism Advice for clergy If you are a member of our clergy looking for the latest guidance on life events please follow this link. Discover more Weddings Funerals Church of England ContactSafeguardingPrivacyCookie Policy The South London Church Fund and Southwark Diocese Board of Finance is a company limited by guarantee (No. 236594). Registered Office: Trinity House, 4 Chapel Court, Borough High Street, London SE1 1HW. Registered Charity: (No. 249678). © The Diocese of Southwark 2021. All rights reserved. Web design by TWK