For adults

Adults must study some basics of the Christian faith according to instructions given by a parish pastor in all of the following cases:

• -If an adult has not received a Christian baptism before and wishes to join the church through baptism (in which case these studies are called ”baptismal classes,” kastekoulu in Finnish),

• If a person has been baptized as a child in ELCF or some other Lutheran church and has been a member ever since but has never attended confirmation school and wants to do so now (in which case the studies are about the same as above, but called ”adult confirmation school,” aikuisrippikoulu),
• If a person has been baptized as a child in ELCF or some other Lutheran church but has quit church membership before ever attending confirmation school, and now wants to join the church again (in which case confirmation school is required) or
• If a person has been baptized in a non-Lutheran Christian fellowship and wants to join our church (although the amount of study may be less than above if this person has received teaching similar to a Lutheran confirmation school).

Full-length adult confirmation school or baptismal lessons take about 20-30 hours.  This includes study and discussion face to face with a pastor or some other church worker designated to teach, and also homework and participation in worship or other activities of the congregation.  A part of the studies can be arranged to be done through e-mail.

Adults are taught privately or in a small group.  Military chaplains in the armed forces arrange confirmation school for conscripts who have missed it as teenagers, and then the adult group may be larger.  In terms of hours, confirmation school is much shorter for adults than teenagers, but studying privately or in a small group is more intensive than in a big class.

Adult confirmation school ends in a confirmation, but if these studies are baptismal lessons, the conclusion in baptism.  This can take place in a private ceremony or a public worship service; discuss with the pastor about arrangements.  A confirmation is an occasion of confession of faith and prayer.  A person baptized as an adult in ELCF is considered a confirmed member of the church, so a separate confirmation ceremony is not necessary after adult baptism.  When neither baptism or confirmation are necessary, there is still another rite for receiving a Christian into the Lutheran church.

Many church members who have not gone to confirmation school as teenagers do so as adults, because confirmation school is required for getting married in a church wedding.  Being asked to be a godparent can also motivate people, because you must be a confirmed member for that – but you don't have to have a reason like these to ask for confirmation or church membership!  Confirmation is also required of candidates in church elections and for attending Holy Communion without the company of one's parent or godparent.

To join the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, whether through baptism or by coming from another Christian fellowship or when rejoining the church, you must sign an official form that states you wish to join this church and that you are no longer a member of any other religious community that is registered in Finland.  Your membership is then recorded in the national Population Information System.  Forms are available in parish offices.  Some Christian fellowships in Finland, however, are not registered as religious communities in this sense, so it is possible to belong to them although you are also a member in our church.  You may, for example, be a member of the International Evangelical Church in Finland (IEC) or the Salvation Army while you also belong to our church.

In Finland, parents can decide together on having their child baptized and joined to the church as long as the child is less than twelve years old.  When the child is less than a year old, the mother can decide by herself.  When a child is at least twelve but less than eighteen years old, the child must also agree – this also applies to giving up (quitting) church membership, so that even if the parents leave the church they cannot force their teenage child to do the same.

All taxpayers who are church members pay ecclesiastical tax (about 1 or 2 percent of their taxable income, depending on the parish) that makes up most of the income of ELCF. All church members who are at least sixteen years old are entitled to vote in parish elections (every four years), and those who are at least eighteen may vote when a new parson (leading pastor) is chosen for a congregation.


© 2007 Jouni Salko.  Used by permission.