intinction

Harvey said many UMC churches might choose not to serve Communion at first when in-person worship resumes, then would grapple with decisions such as whether to eliminate intinction.

“Common cup and intinction are not recommended,” the guidelines say.

Some serve grape juice in small individual cups along with a wafer or piece of bread; in other churches worshippers dip their bread into a communal cup in a process known as intinction.

Most churches across the world have already advised congregants not to shake hands as a “sign of peace”, to ban sharing communion cups and placing wafers directly on the tongue, and to stop the practice of intinction, or dipping wafers in wine.

In the UK, the Church of England has also advised against intinction and the placing of wafers directly on the tongue by those administering Eucharist.