Daily AncestorProfession of faith
Profession of faith means joining a church by publicly declaring one's belief, rather than by transfer letter; registers note members received on profession.
Many Protestant churches admitted new members either by letter from another church or on profession of faith. In Reformed and Presbyterian churches, profession was the step that let a person baptized as a child take communion.
A member received on profession was usually joining a church for the first time. That makes the date a good marker of conversion, coming of age or a move to the area.
As seen in a recordPresbyterian or Congregational membership roll, 1800s
Received on profession of faith: Martha Kerr, Robt. Kerr
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Daily Ancestor. "Profession of faith." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/church/profession-of-faith. Last checked 2026-10-03.