The Admission to Holy Communion Canon of General Synod provides that a baptised, communicant member of another Church which professes the Apostolic faith may be admitted to Holy Communion in the Anglican Church. This is, however, a matter of interim hospitality and does not make that person a communicant member of this Church. That Canon provides that if such a person becomes a customary member of the congregation, regularly receives the Holy Communion and appears likely to continue to do so, the priest should draw their attention to the normal requirements of this Church regarding admission to communicant membership.
The Reception Canon 1981 makes provision for an alternative method of bringing such persons into communicant membership with the same status as one who has been confirmed. The Form of Service for Reception may be used with baptised communicant members of another Church whether they had been previously episcopally confirmed or not.
The Minister of the Reception is the Bishop. The Reception may take place at a Confirmation immediately after the laying on of hands on those who are being confirmed. Alternatively it may take place at such other time and place as the Bishop may direct. The priest should give due preparation to any person desiring to be received into communicant membership of the Anglican Church.
The Reception shall be entered in the Confirmation Register of the parish, but separately from the list of persons confirmed. A list of the names of persons received should also be handed to the Bishop for recording in his Registry. A certificate should also be prepared for the Bishop’s signature. Unless and until special certificates are prepared for this purpose, it will suffice to use the Confirmation Certificate, with the word “Confirmed” deleted and replaced by “Received into Communicant Membership”.
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