Strengthening Ecclesial Communion through Baptismal Practices?

The number of baptisms in the Orthodox Church of Finland has been decreasing since 2013, in tandem with a decrease in the number of church members. An increasing number of Orthodox parents do not have their children baptized. The study’s target group presented in this article were parents who brought their child for baptism in the Orthodox parish of Helsinki in 2017, among whom a survey (n=28) and interviews (n=4) were conducted to explore their perceptions and experiences of baptism-related education, communication with the parish, the administration of baptism, and perceptions of the parish’s activities for its members. Combining qualitative and quantitative analysis, the study showed, first, that a parent’s personal commitment to the Orthodox faith did not lead to active family participation in parish activities; and second, that baptism was valued as an important event in the family and family tradition but had little impact on parish involvement. Third, parents welcomed the idea of church activities for children, but families participated little in activities aimed at them.