Humanist naming celebrant training now open to the public

7 June, 2016

BHA training for naming celebrants has opened to the general public for the first time
BHA training for naming celebrants has opened to the general public for the first time

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has announced that training for humanist baby-naming celebrants will open to the public for the first time this October. The training had until now been only available to celebrants in the BHA network who were already accredited to perform humanist wedding and funeral ceremonies.

‘We’re seeing steadily growing demand for our naming ceremonies,’ said BHA Head of Ceremonies Isabel Russo, explaining the decision to open training to the public, ‘so it’s right that we try to meet that demand by training more naming celebrants than we have in the past.

‘When a new family member is born, adults naturally want to come together to acknowledge and celebrate that fact with friends and loved ones. For a non-religious family, a baptism or christening is simply out of the question, but many will still want to welcome their new arrival to the family through some kind of symbolic occasion. A humanist naming ceremony provides precisely this service, and our naming celebrants work hard to craft personal, individualised scripts for each ceremony. What’s more, a naming ceremony can be held for a child of any age – the most popular time currently being around the child’s first birthday.’

Training for new naming celebrants is set to take place in October and November 2016, with an Induction Day at the BHA’s offices in central London. At the end of training, successful celebrants will be accredited by the BHA to offer their ceremonies as a part of the Humanist Ceremonies™ network. BHA‑accredited celebrants are insured and supported by the BHA, whose accreditation also acts as a marker of quality and professionalism.

Humanist celebrants come from all walks of life. Some conduct ceremonies to supplement a full or part-time job or pension, while others make a living entirely through their ceremonies. Others combine their work as celebrants with their work as parents or carers, or as part of their freelancing ‘portfolio’. All of them find being a celebrant deeply rewarding. You can apply to become a humanist naming celebrant, or to learn more about course dates and fees, through the Humanist Ceremonies website.

Notes

For further information on celebrant training, please contact the BHA on info@humanists.uk or 020 7324 3060.

The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.