On the matter of baptismal witnesses and sponsors or Godparents, so very much depends on how the terms are being defined. More specifically, it is crucial to clarify exactly what is being asked and not being asked of them with regard to the child being baptized. Remember that the use of sponsors or Godparents is neither commanded nor forbidden in the Bible. It is a church custom that is often quite fitting and useful--and often quite meaningless. But when we choose to use them, our task is to be consistent in the selection of those who will serve and in what we are asking them to do.

If parents are thinking this is basically an expression of friendship or family closeness, and the people are invited to participate as a gesture of friendship, then they are really only "witnesses" to the event. There are no spiritual, religious, or doctrinal requirements that need to be spelled out, nor are these people being asked to do anything spiritual or particularly Christian. I suppose we could say they should be "of sound mind" and in touch with reality since they serve as "witnesses" to an event and may testify that it took place, but that's about all. But this should be made clear to everyone involved.

On the other end of the spectrum, however, are people who are asked to serve as "Godparents" in a full, traditional way. Parents ask these people not only to be a witness to the baptism and to express friendship with the family, but to remember the child in their prayers, offer active encouragement and counsel to the parents and the child so that the child will be reared as a child of God and strengthened through ongoing Bible study as he or she matures in the Christian faith. Sometimes parents even have designated these people to take over for the parents should they die or be unable to care for their child, and to make sure the child is reared and trained in the faith of the parents. (If that is so, this should be spelled out in the parents' will.)

If that is in the mind of the parents at baptism, then the chosen sponsors should definitely be Christian and, additionally, should believe the same things the parents believe so they can in good conscience rear the child in that faith.

That is why, in our circles, Godparents are usually not only Christians but also members of the same church or synod (or a church in doctrinal fellowship with the parents). Otherwise, the parents would be asking people to do things that would violate their conscience (like asking a Catholic to rear a child in the Lutheran faith or asking a Lutheran to rear a child in the Baptist faith, etc.).

And I suppose there is a middle ground that can be identified in this church custom. The parents may say to prospective sponsors, "On the basis of your public confession we recognize you as fellow Christians, and we may then ask you to not only witness the baptism but to pray for the spiritual well-being of our child in the future. But sadly we are not doctrinally united and therefore not able to express true doctrinal fellowship, so we cannot and will not violate your conscience and ask you to do more than that. But we ask you to serve in a limited but appreciated way--and we hope we can continue to address the subject of doctrine in our future contacts and ask God to give us doctrinal unity on the basis of his Word." That would be an option that maintains doctrinal and spiritual integrity.