Sacraments & Ordinances

The Cherubim and Seraphim Church recognizes baptism (by water immersion or sprinkling depending on branch), holy communion, and anointing with blessed oil as central ordinances. Baptism is understood as obedience to Christ's command and as an occasion of grace — in some branches, a means through which God's grace is mediated. The Lord's Supper is celebrated regularly, understood as memorial and as spiritual communion with Christ.

A distinctive feature of C&S practice is the incorporation of blessed water, blessed oil, and blessed sand as means of healing and spiritual protection. These materials are used in prayer services, anointing of the sick, and spiritual warfare practices. Believers are encouraged to anoint themselves with blessed oil or to wash with blessed water for protection from evil spirits and for physical and spiritual healing. This practice reflects the C&S's integration of African spiritual sensibilities within Christian categories — the belief that material objects can be sanctified and become channels of spiritual power.

The C&S does not teach that these ordinances confer grace ex opera operato (by the mere performance of the action) but rather that they serve as means through which faith is expressed and the Spirit's power is accessed. The precise mode of baptism and the frequency of communion vary by prayer house and regional tradition. The emphasis falls on the spiritual encounter and renewal rather than on exact liturgical uniformity.