Featured Practice of Ordination of Elders/Pastors

I know that when I was approached by a couple of preachers about becoming ordained, they wanted to have a counsel of pastors. The second time this happened, it was a congregation that wanted to ordain me. The last two times have been a counsel of preachers. I've turned down ordination 4x because of the churches/groups that wanted to ordain me, and the reasons they gave for their "decision". I wasn't convinced that I needed man's ordination, and especially not from the "counsels" and the congregations involved. I would accept ordination if I felt the Lord was truly in it instead of the reasoning of people who wanted to gain an ally. I would prefer a congregational ordination myself, but whatever the Lord showed me was the right time and group would be acceptable.

 

Don't some do ordination thru the denomination itself?

 

I am part of the Great Lakes Baptist group, and think they require one to be licensed and practicing as such for min of 2 years, and they have the regional group approve them local ordination

 

So, Grif, is it ever right for one who has been asked to consider ordination by several pastors to do so? I had gone in view of a call and was voted on at four separate churches...the first 75% in favor, but didn't feel the Lord was leading us in that direction. Something didn't feel right about the church, the deacons, the search committee, and the members. After they had told us that they wanted to call us, my wife and I prayed about the situation and felt led to decline. Ordination was to come with accepting the pastorate. That church went out of existence seven months later. The second church gave us an 89% positive, but, there again, there were things that were severely off. I had filled their pulpit several times over a period of 2 months, but there was such a great division in the church we didn't feel comfortable with accepting. Ordination would have been by a council of local pastors (the previous church mentioned was by the church alone), and they affirmed after talking to me individually that I should accept the proposal of ordination. After much prayer and fasting, I declined. Again, that church was out of existence within 18 months Both were in Illinois. The other two have been here in Tennessee, and one was a new church, starting as a split. I was working as an assistant pastor in the church. It, too, went out after 24 months. The other is still serving the Lord and growing. I believed they needed someone who was far better equipped educationally than I was. I turned down ordination from all four churches. I've been asked again to consider ordination through a different denomination. I am considering it. In your opinion can one turn down ordination that many times, and still truly consider ordination through a baptistic type church? They have both the church and their locally affiliated ministers who would have to give the go ahead Would really like your input.

 

Thanks, Bob. I greatly appreciate your input on this.

 

Great Lakes Region (Association) of the North American Baptist Conference (NABC, originally the German Baptist Conference)

North American Baptist Conference • Regional Associations

"The North American Baptist Conference...more than four hundred churches dispersed across twelve regions. Each region is led by a Regional Minister"

North American Baptist Conference Ordination and Licensure Guide (pdf)

Ministerial License
"This credentialing designation is viewed as an act of the local church and association in recognition of the call of God upon a person’s life....the ministerial license must be both conferred by the local church and affirmed within the association/regional leadership structure."

Ordination
"This credentialing designation is viewed as an act of the local church in recognition of the call of God upon a person’s life, which is recognized by the association/region representing the entire conference. It is designed specifically for those involved in pastoral ministry....It is conferred by the local church working in fraternal cooperation with the association/region of the conference."

Process for Licensure
"The church where the person is serving shall initiate the process of licensure credentialing. This process shall include: A request from the church to the leadership of the association/region supporting this desire to license the individual; A brief description of the individual’s role in the local church ministry; The submission from the individual of a signed copy of the NAB Statement of Faith and Code of Ministerial Ethics of the North American Baptist Conference. Upon review, the association/regional leadership shall vote to affirm license credential, deny licensure credential or seek clarification of information.

Process for Ordination
"the individual seeking ordination shall submit an ordination paper [The individual’s call to ministry; Education; Previous Christian service; Doctrinal statement; Current ministry position and duties; Signed copy of Code of Ministerial Ethics of the North American Baptist Conference] to the leadership within the association/regional leadership structure....[which] shall either vote to recommend the church call an ordination council, refer the paper back to the individual for further development, decline to proceed with ordination credentialing, or recommend with qualifications...."

 

Bethlehem, Bethel, etc. are not NABC, but 'Converge', denomination formerly known as the Baptist General Conference (Swedish Baptist)