Closed communion

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Part of a series on the
Eucharist Lord's Supper Communion
Elements Bread Wine
Ritual and liturgy Divine Liturgy Holy Qurobo Holy Qurbana Divine Service Mass Requiem Solemn Consecration/Anaphora Epiclesis Words of Institution Anamnesis
Practices and customs Closed and open table Communion under both kinds Adoration Discipline Thanksgiving Reserved sacrament Feast of Corpus Christi First Communion Infant communion Viaticum Vessels Paten Chalice Spoon Fraction Intinction
History Origin of the Eucharist Catholic historical roots
Theology Real presence Consubstantiation Impanation Metousiosis Receptionism Sacramental union Transignification Transubstantiation Memorialism Sacramentarians Sacrament Ordinance
Denominational teachings Anglican Catholic Latter-day Saint Lutheran Reformed
Related articles Agape feast Christian views on alcohol Eucharistic miracle Host desecration
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Closed communion is the practice of restricting the serving of the elements of Holy Communion (also called Eucharist, The Lord's Supper) to those who are members in good standing of a particular church, denomination, sect, or congregation. Though the meaning of the term varies slightly in different Christian theological traditions, it generally means that a church or denomination limits participation (with respect to the Eucharist) either to members of their own church, members of their own denomination, or members of some specific class (e.g., baptized members of evangelical churches). This restriction is based on various parameters, one of which is baptism.^[1] See also intercommunion.

A closed-communion church is one that excludes certain individuals (it specifically identifies) from receiving the communion. This standard varies from church to church. This is the known practice of most traditional churches that pre-date the Protestant Reformation. Other churches following the Protestant Reformation have their own rules of restrictions. In current churches of various denominations, across the spectrum, the rules of participating in the Eucharist are varied.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

Churches which practice open communion allow all Christians to partake in the Lord's Supper, with membership in a particular Christian community not required to receive bread and wine; this in contrast to pre-Reformation churches, which hold that what is received in their celebrations ceases to be bread and wine.