Summary of Essential Practice Points: Baptist Churches

1 Profile of Baptist Churches in Ireland:

Baptist members may be Irish, English, North American and from new communities including Brazil, Romania and Nigeria. Currently there are at least twenty ethnic groups identified in Irish Baptist Churches, and there are two Romanian language congregations in Dublin. (Fulltext of Essential Point 1 in Profile of Baptist churches in Ireland)

2 Religious contacts and religious practices:

The person may wish to see their own pastor; hence it is important to clarify the name of a religious contact who can be called for religious support and guidance for the healthcare setting. The website address at the end of the section can be used to develop contacts for the Baptist community.(Fulltext of Essential Point 2 in Religious contacts and religious practices)

3 Death-related religious rituals:

There is no formal death ritual in the Baptist tradition. In cases of imminent death the person's pastor should be called so that the person and family can receive the religious and spiritual support that they need. (Fulltext of Essential Point 3 in Death-related religious rituals)

4 Cleaning and touching the body:

The normal washing and preparation procedure can be carried out.(Fulltext of Essential Point 4 in Cleaning and touching the body)

5 Initiation ritual/infant baptism:

Baptism, the initiation ritual common to Christian traditions, is considered to be a voluntary declaration of faith conducted at a time when the person is ready. Therefore, baptism of infants is not practised even in the case of imminent threat to life. (Fulltext of Essential Point 5 in Initiation ritual/infant baptism)