Membership at Saint Willibrord
Saint Willibrord Orthodox Church is a family of Christians who love one another, under the care of our pastor and bishop, in the unity of our faith in Jesus Christ. We would love to welcome you into our family, too!
The first step in becoming a member is to attend our services and worship with us, especially on Sunday mornings. Stay afterwards for coffee hour, so we can get to know each other.
After visiting for a month or two, if you feel drawn to our community, share your desire with the pastor. He will want to sit down with you and explore your intentions in detail, but in general you will follow one of these paths:
If you are already Orthodox, you will simply express your intention to join Saint Willibrord and commit yourself to membership with us.
If you are a baptized Christian from a different tradition, you will go through a period of instruction about the Orthodox tradition, tailored to your spiritual background and schedule. When you and the pastor agree that the time is right, you will be received into the Orthodox Church by Chrismation (anointing with sacred oil).
If you have not been baptized, you will be instructed in the Christian faith in a process that is tailored to your spiritual background and schedule. When you and the pastor agree that the time is right, you will be received into the Orthodox Church by Baptism and Chrismation.
Helpful Terms
These are some terms you may hear during the process of considering membership at St. Willibrord.
Inquirer – Someone who is just visiting to “check us out.” Inquirers are welcome to attend services and parish activities, but are not able to receive Holy Communion or other sacraments. Beyond this, Inquirers are under no obligations or expectations of any kind.
Catechumen – Someone who has decided to join St. Willibrord, and is in the process of learning about our church and faith. This period may be short or long, depending on the person. While a person is a Catechumen, he or she prepares for membership by attending our worship services regularly and participating in the life of our church family.
Baptism – The sacrament which marks a person’s entry into the Christian faith. It takes the form of a triple-immersion in water, in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Chrismation – The sacrament of receiving the Holy Spirit, the second part of a Christian’s entry into the church. (In some traditions this is called Confirmation.) It takes the form of anointing with holy oil which was blessed by the Patriach, the head bishop of our church, carrying on the apostolic blessing found in Acts 19:6.