Ordaination

Ordination is the appointment of a duly gifted and qualified man to an office within the structure of the local church.

I was ordained pastor of 1st Baptist Church of Spring Valley in San Diego in 1985. If, or when, I ever leave this church I will have to be ordained (or appointed) to another ministry in another local church.

 

I, too, am an ordained pastor. I pastor Grace Baptist Church in New Caney, Tx. I was not ordained to become pastor directly, however. I was ordained in pretense of the possibility of becoming a pastor. The ordination I went through was more or less an endorsement from a governing body of faithful members of my church.

My ordination was confirmed after a 2 year examination period: to which I was unaware. I had been closely examined by the deacon board and a few of the more faithful members of the church. Notes were taken on every thing I did and every action I took around the church. They even spoke to my neighbors to confirm my actions away from church. I was given responsibilities to fulfill during this time, but was unaware it was for the purposes of meeting ordination approval. They reviewed my records and all agreed I met their biblical requirements to minister, thus, they extended to me my ordination.

From a legal standpoint, in the state of Texas my certificate of ordination allows me the right to legally marry and bury folks as well.

Hope this will shed a little light on the subject for you. But, remember, I am quite sure the ordination process differs from place to place.

Spam

 

Typical southern ordination among most missionary and independent Baptists:

The church where the preacher is a member invites pastors and deacons (some do not invite deacons to a pastor ordination) to meet with them. These ordained men meet with the church and are formed into a presbytery. They elect men to fill certain duties (this is approved by the church, or the church may instruct the presbytery who they want to fill the positions) - moderator, clerk, and persons to preach the sermon, question the candidate, pray the ordination prayer, give a charge and present a Bible. All these positions are not always used and sometimes some of them are combined. The first thing is usually that someone asks the candidate to relate his experience of salvation and call to preach. The questions are asked concerning his moral conduct and theological persuasions. If satisfied the presbytery recommends the candidate to the church for ordination (or not) and the church votes to ordain (or not). Then a prayer is prayed and the presbytery lays hands on the candidate. This is usually followed by a sermon, a charge to the candidate, a charge to the church, and a Bible is presented. The wife is almost always asked to sit with her husband (I suspect this is of recent origin) and once in a while she is asked a few questions.

 

The word, ordain, appears in several forms throughout the New Testament (KJV). The word (Gr.) "kathistemi" means, to place down, to designate, constitute, convoy: - appoint (1), be, conduct (1), make ((6), ordain (3), and set (1). It is to set in office. Modern meaning, to "ordain."

The qualifications for a Pastor (Overseer, Bishop, Under-Shepherd) is well defined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, and Titus 1:5-9.

Paul’s instruction to ordain "elders" (Pastors) in every city (where he founded churches) is found in Titus 1:5.

The process of choosing and or election is well defined in Acts 6:1-7. The key verse here is 3, where the decision-making (the choosing) is placed in the hands of the "multitude of the disciples" or the church. The Disciples did the ordination or setting the chosen 7 servants (Deacons) into office by the laying on of the hands and prayer (v. 6). Hope this answers your original question.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dr. Bob Griffin:
(2) Southern Baptists by-in-large ordain BOTH the pastors and deacons "for life". If a deacon moves to another church, he remains a deacon. Some are getting away from that, but it is still very prevalent.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree with the northern type. But then when the first book you were ever given in the matter of church structure was a book by Paul Jackson you tend to have a more GARB philosophy in those matters...

I also have "Profile of a preacher" by Ray Barber and "Criswell's Guidebook for Pastors" and one can see a vast difference of opinions on how a church should operate.

Chat with y'all later...

 

I was ordained pastor by Lake view Baptist Church.

All Ordination is Man saying we conform that God is call you to a work. My is Church planting.

 

Another difference between the ABC and the other baptist groups is that a minister must me several qualifications (M.Div., counselling, etc.) for their ordination to be recognized outside their local church or conference. That's why some of the ministers in the ABC ministerial directory have LO next to their names (Local Only).

Joshua

 

SW,

The Biblical basis for the "ordination" (appointment) of elders is found in the Apostolic teaching and practice. For example, Paul instructed Titus to "appoint" elders in every city in Crete, followed by a brief summary of qualifications (Titus1:5f). A similar, although somewhat more detailed, list is given to Timothy for the same purpose (1Tim.3:1-7). When elders were thus appointed, the ordination was apparently accompanied by the laying on of hands by those already ordained as elders. This is reflected in 1Tim.5:22, where Paul commands Timothy "Do not lay hands on any man hastily" in a discussion of matters dealing with the possibilty of serious sin in the life of an elder. Paul wants Timothy to avoid becoming complicit in such sins by being careful about who is ordained as an elder in the first place. He most likely also refers to Timothy's own ordination when in 1Tim.4:14 he exhorts him "Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery".

Pastork

 

I have been ordained as both a deacon and a pastor. Both are for a lifetime. I don't hold to the lifetime deacon thing and really the ordination certificate is more for the government so that you can withdraw from social security and do weddings and such. No church has ever asked to see my ordination certificate nor even my degrees for that matter.

The people appointed deacons in Acts to care for the feeding of widows. A lot has been added to that office since then and much of it not correctly. Yes, only two offices.

The Apostles appointed elders\pastors and set them in the churches which is more of a Presbyterian thing or Methodist thing than Baptists, but I agree wit the concept. Sheep choosing a shepherd has led to more disasters than Heinz has varieties or Carter has little liver pills.

The last church I candidated at I answered 19 out of 20 questions to their satisfaction and many folks felt that I was indeed the man even at the association level. I had all the experience and qualfications needed. That one question they disagreed on and none of them could give a scriptural basis for their belief though I presented mine. They said they loved me but disagreed with me and that was that. So, who did they call? A 70 year old guy, which in and of itself is not necessarily bad, but it was a bad call for this church as it is tough to get younger folks in there now because the bulk of the folks are that age and above so even a 50 year old seems like a young kid. The church may possibly fold because sheep who had no clue called a retired shepherd over one question they could not even defend.

We could do with going back to a biblical way of installing pastors verus our American democratic system. The church is really to be an oligarchy not a democracy or at least a republic.