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Non-Catholic Christians: How often does your denomination take communion?

I was surprised when an American Christian friend told me her denomination takes communion only once a year. I quote from her email: "Baptists, Lutherans and Methodists take communion once a year at Easter." Is this correct, or is it just in her area? Where I live in Europe it is at least once a month, in some churches every Sunday.

Update:

Just so you know I don't award BA for cut-and-paste jobs. Nor for "answers" that don't adress the question.

21 Answers

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  • 5 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Maybe because I'm not a member of any denomination, at our church we take it every Sunday (Ac 20:7). Besides the Bible, other historical records confirm it was taken every first day of the week early on in Christ's church (e.g. Didache, Justin Martyr).

    I think it is very telling how most denominations are absolutely adamant about collections being taken every Sunday, and rightfully so per 1Cor 16:2, but when similar wording is used about the frequency of the Lord's Supper in Ac 20:7, it's largely ignored.

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    Here in the U.K. Baptists and Methodists take communion each month. In Scotland a local Evangelical church takes communion every Sunday evening and the Free Church of Scotland takes communion four times a year. It varies, but one thing I'm sure of is that the only denomination that takes the bread and the wine once a year are Jehovah's Witnesses. What's more, at their annual memorial service only a very few people actually take the bread and wine. I believe that out of 8 million Witnesses only 14,000 plus partake. The rest pass the plate and the cup because they are not born again, Christ Jesus is not their mediator and they are not in the New Covenant.

    During the first century, Christians met on the first day of the Jewish week (corresponding to our Sunday) for fellowship and to "break bread."

  • 5 years ago

    I converted from Methodist to Catholic and my son in law is a Baptist pastor. Baptists have the Lord's Supper once a month. Methodists also did it once a month on the first Sunday of the month. I don't know when they started but as early as the 1980s, some churches had a service which served communion every week.

    There are some Protestants who purposefully skip communion Sunday. Perhaps the person who told you they do it only Easter had a parent who did not want to attend on Communion Sunday but did not skip Easter service.

  • Jimbo
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    I'm a Baptist. We take communion at least once a month at the church as a congregation. That said, communion can be done in your home with family, or in a restaurant, or picnic in a park, or anywhere you choose to. It's a celebration of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us. It was NEVER intended to be what every Christian denomination does liturgically while at church. Communion was to be celebrated with a meal and not with a wafer and some token grape juice.

  • 5 years ago

    Did Jesus mean for this memorial to be kept perhaps every day or every week?

    Basic Catechism says: “Special Duties of Catholic Christians” include “participating in Mass every Sunday and holyday of obligation.” (Boston, 1980, p. 21) “The faithful are in fact encouraged to participate in the Mass and to receive Communion frequently, even daily.”—The Teaching of Christ—A Catholic Catechism for Adults, Abridged Edition (Huntington, Ind.; 1979), p. 281.

    Do all Scriptural references to “breaking of bread” indicate that Christ’s death was being commemorated? (Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7, JB) Jesus ‘broke bread’ when food was being shared at a meal even before the Last Supper. (Mark 6:41; 8:6) The bread used by the Jews at that time was not what many people are accustomed to today. When eating it, they would often break or tear off a piece.

    Jesus did not specifically state how often the Memorial of his death was to be kept. However, he instituted it on the date of the Jewish Passover, which was replaced among his disciples by the Memorial of Christ’s death. The Passover was an annual event, celebrated on Nisan 14. Similarly, the Jewish Festival of Unfermented Cakes, the Festival of Weeks (Pentecost), the Festival of Booths, or Ingathering, and the Day of Atonement were all held once a year.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    The church I consider to be the one I belong with, is non-denominational and mainly studies God's Word. In God's Word, there were 3 feasts. Passover is the Highest Holy Day. Jesus Christ became our Passover, so as a church we take Communion together on that day. Leviticus 23:5 KJV and 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 KJV

    However, if we are sick or needing to take Communion, we do whenever we want to/need to personally. We use crackers without leaven and a bit of wine that we have anointed with olive oil that we have asked God to bless for the purpose of anointing.

    Leviticus 23:5 KJV In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover

    1 Corinthians 5:7 KJV Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

  • Yorrik
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    I Grew up a Methodist but cannot ever remember taking Holy Communion - however, I have do doubt that such happened because Methodism is a breakaway group from the Church of England which is a breakaway group from the Catholic Church of Rome.

    So to sum up in brief, I believe in the Holy Roman Church.

    Cannot imagine what my Quaker ancestors will make of that, probably think it's a good idea. Why not?

    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=holy+...

    I have this impression that the Christians are slowly closing ranks and over time will come to march under one banner of Jesus Christ and while at the same time allowing for their differences.

    Stranger still. . . .this.

    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=imam+...

    There is only one God, the Mighty God of Abraham.

    Gott mit uns

  • 5 years ago

    I grew up in different Protestant churches and was baptized as a Methodist. We took communion once a month, on the first Sunday. I assume that this is still the case although I am no longer Methodist so perhaps others can provide accurate updates.

    Hannah J Paul

  • Misty
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    I was raised Methodist and at that time, I assume it's still true, Methodists only had communion once a month.

    The reason Protestants do not have communion at every service is because it is merely a memorial. It has no real value or purpose.

  • BC
    Lv 6
    5 years ago

    The practice known as "Communion" was derived from the early Church's observance of Passover in accordance with Jesus' instructions to remember him. And the Apostle Paul added that the Bread and Wine, which represented Jesus' body and blood, are in remembrance of Jesus' death/sacrifice as "our Passover, sacrificed for us" (I Corinthians 5:7).

    Thus, I take the Christian Passover Bread and Wine at the time of Jesus' death and the time of the Passover sacrifice, once a year, on the 14th day of Nisan (the Biblical first month, at the beginning of Spring) towards evening (about 3 hours before sunset), according to the commandment (Exodus 12).

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