Gluten-Free Communion in Church?

While doing some research for an upcoming post I ran across some information about the various Christian church branches and how they view/handle communion for members with Celiac Disease.

If you belong to one of these branches, let us know how communion is handled at your church in the comments below!

Lutheran Church Communion:

The policy is outlined in section 44c of its sacramental practices statement, “The Use of the Means of Grace.” It states, “For pressing reasons of health … congregations might decide to place small amounts of non-wheat bread or non-alcoholic wine or grape juice on the altar. Such pastoral and congregational decisions are delicate and must honor both the tradition of the Church and the people of each local assembly.” Similarly, the Episcopal Church allows congregations to offer non-wheat wafers if someone in the church community makes such a request.

Catholic Church Communion:

The Catholic Church’s Code of Canon Law permits priests to set aside a special wine chalice exclusively for worshippers following wheat- or gluten-free diets. This eliminates the possibility of the hosts accidentally contaminating the wine. The Canon Law also offers parishioners the alternative of drinking only wine or consuming low-gluten wafers.   But for many afflicted individuals, low-gluten wafers are not an option because even a tiny amount of the protein can trigger immediate reactions.

United Methodist Church Communion:

“There is no church law or official rule that would invalidate the efficacy of the sacrament when served with gluten-free bread,” reports Dan Benedict, worship services director of the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church. He reports that generally speaking, as awareness of wheat and gluten intolerances grows, more congregations are offering wheat alternatives for communion. Benedict explains that the United Methodist Church, unlike the Catholic Church, believes the “substance of the sign is in the signified, Jesus Christ, and not in the chemical make-up of the sign.”

Christian Reform Church Communion:

The church allows gluten-free wafers, and the pastor’s wife began baking rice-based hosts after learning of Annette Baker’s sensitivity. “She told me ‘the essence of Christ is inside us, not in the gluten,'” remembers Baker, who was touched by the woman’s kindness and understanding. The rice wafers are kept separate from those made with wheat to avoid cross-contamination and are available at every service. [quote from a book]