Origins The profession of faith has its origin in the
New Testament, where believers, such as
Cornelius, declared their faith in
Jesus during
baptism. In the
First Epistle to Timothy in chapter 6 verse 12,
Paul of Tarsus reminds
Timothy of his profession of faith in front of several people. In the
Early Church, the
kerygma, or the proclamation of
Jesus Christ Messiah and
Son of God, death and
risen, summed up the profession of faith.
By denomination Various
Christian churches require people to make a personal profession of faith according to a prescribed formula, when
joining their Christian denomination as a member.
Catholic Church The rite of reception of baptized Christians into the communion of the Catholic Church states that "one who was born and baptized outside the visible communion of the Catholic Church is not required to make an abjuration of
heresy [publicly] but simply a profession of faith". Today, normally, an abjuration of heresy is made in the
privacy of the
confessional, though in the past it was often a public matter. After joining with the congregation in reciting the
Nicene Creed, the person being received into the Catholic Church makes the following profession of faith: A long version of this
Profession of Catholic Faith was composed by
Pope Pius IV and was formerly used as part of one's devotions. Such a devotion was rooted in the
Council of Trent. As indicated in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, adults joining the Catholic Church were formerly asked to abjure the previous faith to which they belonged ("Hebrew superstition", the Islamic "sect of the infidel", or "the heretical errors of the evil sect" from which they came). The profession of faith used was the Tridentine Profession of Faith.
Lutheran churches When a
baptized individual joins a Lutheran church, he or she becomes a Lutheran by making a profession of faith.
Anglican churches In the
Anglican churches, a profession of faith is made by "those elected or nominated in the office of bishop". For baptisms in the
Church of England, the
Apostles' Creed is the profession of faith made by the candidate (or his/her sponsors).
Methodist churches In the
United Methodist Church, a profession of faith is made by one's parents or
sponsors when one receives the sacrament of
Holy Baptism. A profession of faith is taken by
confirmands, as well as new Christians joining the United Methodist Church.
Baptist, Pentecostal and nondenominational Christianity In Baptist, Pentecostal and nondenominational Christianity, which adheres to the doctrine of the
believers' Church, the profession of faith consists in witnessing to one's personal conversion and to one's faith in
Jesus, before the
believer's baptism. This rite is thus reserved for adolescents and adults. == Islam ==