Martin Luther wrote in The Babylonian Captivity of the Church,

… we see no reason for numbering confirmation [as a sacrament]. For to constitute a sacrament there must be above all things else a word of divine promise, by which faith may be exercised. But we read nowhere that Christ ever gave a promise concerning confirmation.

The foundation of our theology – and of our faith, for that matter – is our baptism. We believe and know that Grace is not simply one trait of God but his primary work, and we know that God’s word, spoken at our baptism, is decisive for our life. It is our promise of eternity and it is our ordination into a life of discipleship.

We believe and teach that baptism “effects forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and grants eternal salvation to all who believe, as the Word and promise of God declare.” (Small Catechism) Consequently we are not invested in a Confirmation as another sacrament that adds to (or worse, replaces) God’s work in baptism, but we seek a rite of personal commitment which forms a life of faith built on the foundation of the baptismal promise. This rite is properly known as Affirmation of Baptism, and is intended to invoke a personal faith commitment by an individual properly prepared and instructed to begin their adult life of faith, blessing the gracious work of God in their baptism and committing themselves to a life of discipleship within the community of faith.

Affirmation of Baptism is …

• Personal – it is the act of a person seeking a mature and full relationship with God, brought forward by parents and sponsors and blessed by the community of faith (the congregation).

• Parental – it is an important step in the fulfillment of the parental and congregational responsibilities undertaken at baptism.

• Educational – it requires a foundational understanding of Scripture, of the Tradition, and of the community of faith and an orientation to learn more.

• Purposeful – it is goal oriented with structured and (where possible) measurable goals that accomplish real life changes in a person of faith which impact the world.

• A Beginning – it leads participants toward a whole life of worship, study and service.

The proper preparation for Affirmation of Baptism is the process of catechism, the instruction of young people in the primary signs of the faith of the church by their parents. Luther wrote his small catechism as a tool for parents, noting in its introduction, “You should also take pains to urge governing authorities and parents to rule wisely and educate their children.” The parents and sponsors who bring the child to baptism undertake the responsibility to provide for the child’s “instruction in the Christian Faith” that leads to this event. The church, as a partner in this undertaking, should not replace them in their God-given role or remove from them their promised obligations.

In part, the institutionalization of catechism by the church has encouraged the improper understanding of Affirmation of Baptism by removing its preparatory nature and making it into a ritual of passage. By creating a false goal of completion and shifting the burden of obligation from individual to class, the current method of catechization inadvertently impedes the development of ministry and personal discipleship in young adults.

It is also a characteristic of the new mission setting of the church that many families are poorly equipped to provide for the proper instruction needed for Affirmation of Baptism. This has become an excuse to supplant their proper place in the catechization of children, but it should not – Affirmation of Baptism should be an opportunity to aid families by including parents in the educational process. Both the responsibilities of community and parent are more completely fulfilled in an approach which recognizes the importance of transforming individuals rather than fulfilling institutional ritual responsibilities.

Surely it is true that salvation is a corporate event rather than an individual one. The purpose and mission of Jesus Christ was to build his church, and (despite occasional abuses of the concept) there can be no salvation apart from the church. Even the reformer’s ideal of the Priesthood of all Believers was never meant to excuse any individual from the responsibilities of living in and being responsible to the whole community of faith. As Paul reminded the Corinthians, “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” (I Corinthians 1:10) Faith obliges us to test our truths against a whole, greater truth. We are advocating against that here.

Rather, in Affirmation of Baptism, we seek to give body to Luther’s reminder of the importance of the words, “for you.” As he reminds us in the Large Catechism, “Whoever lets these words be addressed to him and believes that they are true has what the words declare,” and “it is also your responsibility to take it and confidently believe that it is just as the words tell you.” This faithful act, not a replacement of God’s will, but a bold and confident compliance to it, is exactly the purpose and goal of Affirmation of Baptism.