Crossword Genius

Church increased time being consumed to baptise (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

christen

'baptise' is the definition.
('christen' can be a synonym of 'baptise')

'church increased time being consumed' is the wordplay.
'church' becomes 'ch' (common abbreviation).
'increased' becomes 'risen' (rising is a kind of increasing).
'time' becomes 't'.
'being consumed' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'risen' going around 't' is 'risten'.
'ch'+'risten'='CHRISTEN'

'to' is the link.

(Other definitions for christen that I've seen before include "Use for the first time" , "Name in church" , "Baptise and name" , "attach handle to" , "Baptize" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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