Do any Protestants confess to their ministers?

[BartBurk]

Are there any Protestants who confess their sins to their minister? How do Protestants handle the commandment to confess their sins?

 

[puzzleannie]

I have visited several Protestant churches, usually Episcopal (where it is common if not the rule), Methodist or Lutheran, and seen posted references to confession times, making apointments with the pastor for confession (not counselling, confession of sins), communal penance services with optional personal confession and so forth. I have not heard their teaching on the efficacy of the practice, whether they believe sins are remitted or forgiven “better, faster or more thoroughly” through this practice than by “praying directly to Jesus” but at least the practice is in use in some places.

 

[allischalmers]

Baptist do not confess to our pastors. We have an hot line straight to God,s oval office.

 

[BlestOne]

Baptist do not confess to our pastors. We have an hot line straight to God,s oval office.

Do you think if God tells you to confess to the Church that it is a good idea to break the chain of command so to speak?
Douay-Rheims Bible:

Matthew 18
15 But if thy brother shall offend against thee, go, and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother.

16 And if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand. 17 And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican. 18 Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.

2 Corinthians 5
18 But all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Christ; and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 For God indeed was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their sins; and he hath placed in us the word of reconciliation. 20 For Christ therefore we are ambassadors, God as it were exhorting by us. For Christ, we beseech you, be reconciled to God.

James 5 (speaking to the priests)
16 Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.

 

[Syele]

I don’t make appiontments to confess to my pastor, unless I have wronged my Pastor in some way. I have aslo been in two churches (one Baptist and one non-denominational) where the pastor had committed a in that was serious and confessed it to teh entire cursh and stepped down from ministry.

I have alsays been taught it is right to confess sins to those who I wronged.

 

[pismopal]

As a protestant I could have confessed my sin to anyone I wished. As a Catholic I confess to a priest and receive absolution and reassurance of that fact…and the feeling inside that I have confronted my sinfullness in a direct honest manner. Is there a difference? There is a world of difference to one who has done it both ways.

 

[JonNC]

I don’t make appiontments to confess to my pastor, unless I have wronged my Pastor in some way. I have aslo been in two churches (one Baptist and one non-denominational) where the pastor had committed a in that was serious and confessed it to teh entire cursh and stepped down from ministry.

I have alsays been taught it is right to confess sins to those who I wronged.

It seems to me that both are called for: we should go to those we have wronged and ask their forgiveness (and forgive those who have wronged us). But the keys to forgive/retain our sins against God are conferred to the clergy by Christ himself. Lutherans have an order of private confession, but it has fallen into disuse, contrary to Luther’s hope. Most now practice the order of public confession, where the pastor then grants absolution in Christ’s name and by his authority.

 

[Hilde89]

In my Lutheran church, confession is a part of the liturgy but not a sacrament. We do it all together with the priest directly to God, not one on one with the minister in persona Christi like Catholics.

 

[O.S.Luke]

Confessions to a United Methodist pastor are protected both by law and by church law: “All clergy of the United Methodist Church are charged to maintain all confidences inviolate, including confessional confidences." - from The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church.

 

[ASimpleSinner]

Confessions to a United Methodist pastor are protected both by law and by church law: “All clergy of the United Methodist Church are charged to maintain all confidences inviolate, including confessional confidences." - from The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church.

This is useful to know, but does not, I don’t think, get to the heart of the OPs question…

I am not familiar with any non-Catholic, non-Orthodox where confession in utilized in the same fashion, as a sacrament, and actually mandated. Some Episcopalians do go to confession to their ministers. Generally, that is more common among High Church and “anglo-Catholic” varieties of such.

 

[flameburns623]

Some Episcopalians, some Lutherans, possibly some Methodists, and Latter-Day Saints. In most cases among Protestants it is needful only to confess sins which are spiritually troublesome or which have ramifications beyond the individual. In Mormonism, for example, one need not confess ‘lust’ but one is expected to confess masturbation, homosexual contact, fornication, or adultery. One is not required to confess failure to tithe (thought here is an annual ‘tithing settlement’ that one is encouraged to participate in).

In general, Protestants take seriously the idea that confession is “one to another”–that is, one confesses to those who have been injured in the human realm, not to a third party that has no involvement in the offense. Any absolution granted by the Church is performed as a ‘general absolution’ or as a ‘general proclamation of Divine absolution’–that is, the laity make a liturgical confiteor and the pastor or Protestant priest ritually absolves them in his own capacity as a minister, or simply proclaims that in accordance with Scripture, God has forgiven them.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

As a protestant I could have confessed my sin to anyone I wished. As a Catholic I confess to a priest and receive absolution and reassurance of that fact…and the feeling inside that I have confronted my sinfullness in a direct honest manner. Is there a difference? There is a world of difference to one who has done it both ways.

That’s not my experience FWIW, there is nothing to stop Catholics confessing to other Catholics: it’s not sacramental, but it is does not follow that God’s grace is not present - see Matt. 18.20:​

• …Mat 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
• Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear [thee, then] take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
• Mat 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
• Mat 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
• Mat 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
• Mat 18:20 **For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. **
• Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
• Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
• Mat 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
• Mat 18:24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents…
  The passages are on the subjects of forgiveness among Christ’s followers. No rite is involved - whereas there is a connection here between offering one’s sacrifice, & reconciliation with one’s brother: the latter is to precede the former:
• Mat 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’
• Mat 5:22 But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.
• Mat 5:23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
• Mat 5:24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
• Mat 5:25 Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison;
• Mat 5:26 truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.

 

[JonNC]

In my Lutheran church, confession is a part of the liturgy but not a sacrament. We do it all together with the priest directly to God, not one on one with the minister in persona Christi like Catholics.

Hilde,
Check your book of Concord. While you are right that we Lutherans do not refer to confession as a sacrament, Private Confession is available to all Lutherans, and encouraged in the stongest terms by Dr. Luther.

Jon