Confirmation is the sacramental rite in which the candidates "express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop" (BCP, p. 860).
The Episcopal Church's theology of Confirmation has continued to evolve along with its understanding of baptism. Confirmation is no longer seen as the completion of Christian initiation, nor is Confirmation a prerequisite for receiving communion. Confirmation has been increasingly understood in terms of a mature, public reaffirmation of the Christian faith and the baptismal promises, and can include Reception from another denomination, and Reaffirmation of a new awakening or renewal of faith.