It depends on how you were baptized. At St. Michael, if you were baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you may be received by Chrismation without being baptized again. If you were not baptized by immersion in the name of the Holy Trinity, for example if water was sprinkled or poured over your head, you will be baptized. The bishop and the priest decide each case.
If you are received by Chrismation, the priest anoints you with holy oil and seals you with the gift of the Holy Spirit. It’s the completion of what began in your infant baptism. Your first confession comes before you are received, and you’ll usually receive communion at that Liturgy. Fr. Michael will walk you through the order.
Baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity, followed by Chrismation, is the normal way into the Church, and when a question arises about how someone is to be received, the priest consults his bishop. Receiving someone by Chrismation is what’s called “economy”, recognizing the grace that God has already given through baptism in other Christian communities, even when those communities don’t have the fullness of the faith. Baptism can’t be repeated. It’s a one-time mystery that marks you permanently as Christ’s own.
But your priest will need to verify a few things first. He’ll ask where and when you were baptized. If you have a baptism certificate from your Catholic parish or Baptist church, bring it. If you don’t, that’s okay too. Most people don’t keep those things in a file cabinet. If you don’t, Fr. Michael will work with you.
The critical question is whether your baptism used the Trinitarian formula. Did the minister or priest say something like “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”? That’s the first question. The second is whether you were immersed. If you were baptized in “Jesus’ name only”, as happens in some Oneness Pentecostal groups, that’s not a Trinitarian baptism, and you’ll need to be baptized in the Orthodox Church.
The method matters too. Full immersion three times is the ancient practice and what we do for baptisms in the Orthodox Church.
Your priest and the bishop are applying the Church’s wisdom, which has dealt with converts for two thousand years.
What you’ll go through is a period of preparation, catechism classes, attending services, learning to pray. You’ll need a sponsor, someone who’s already Orthodox and can walk with you through this process. When your priest determines you’re ready (and that’s his call, not a formula), he’ll schedule your reception. It usually happens on a Sunday during the Divine Liturgy, right before communion.
If you are received by Chrismation, the service is brief. You’ll renounce Satan and unite yourself to Christ. You’ll recite the Nicene Creed. Then the priest will anoint your forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, chest, hands, and feet with holy chrism, saying each time, “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” That oil was consecrated by the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople, reaches parishes through the bishop, and contains dozens of spices and perfumes, connecting you to the ancient Church and to Orthodox Christians across the world. After Chrismation, you’ll usually receive the Eucharist for the first time as an Orthodox Christian at that Liturgy.
Some Orthodox jurisdictions handle this differently. The Russian Church Outside Russia often baptizes converts regardless of their previous baptism. At St. Michael, those baptized by immersion in the name of the Holy Trinity may be received by Chrismation, trusting that God’s grace was operative in that baptism, even if it happened in a community that doesn’t have the fullness of the apostolic faith.
If you’re still not sure whether your baptism will be accepted, just ask your priest. Bring whatever information you have. He’ll figure it out with you. This isn’t a gotcha situation. The Church wants to receive you in the way that’s faithful to tradition and respectful of what God has already done in your life.
