What is an “open” communion?
“Closed communion” refers to the practice of some churches or denominations to exclude from communion those who are not part of their church or denomination. “Open communion” refers to the practice of welcoming all Christians to the table. At St Mark’s we say, “Jesus invites all people to trust him, to follow him, and to be in communion with him and all other Christians. You are not required to be an Episcopalian or a member of this congregation to share in our celebration of the Eucharist.” This reflects our understanding that it is indeed the Lord’s Table at which we are celebrating, and that we are here at the invitation of Jesus. We cannot imagine how anyone would dare exclude faithful Christian brothers from the Lord’s Table, regardless of the church or denomination to which they belong.
