Ordination Procedure

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Ordination Procedure – I just want to make a couple of comments about the below excerpt from a local IFB church’s “articles of faith.” The IFB church conducts themselves as if they have ecclesiastical power to confer. Keep this in mind before proceeding: 1 Timothy 1:12 “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;” This verse removes the opinion of man and the unbiblical ordination council.

This post is not trying to undermine Pastoral stewardship or Church authority; however, this is an attempt to glean from God’s Word. We all need the capacity to forsake teaching from a man if God’s Word trumps his teaching.

(A) Upon a conference with the pastor and after the pastor has approved the candidate for ordination, the pastor shall call a council to examine and pass on the qualifications of the candidate.

  1.      Council: the deck can be stacked against the candidate depending upon those with which the Pastor fellowships (some with an axe to grind). The IFB is cliquish and recluse today! When I was a kid this wasn’t the case.
  2.      Since when does a council examine and pass a candidate?
  3.      Whose authority? The local church or a council with zero authority?

(B) The ordination council shall consist of ordained ministers of like faith invited to participate in the examination of the candidate.

  1.       Again, this council of ordained ministers has no authority in the local church nor over the candidate. Are we a local church or not?

(C) If the candidate is found worthy of ordination by the council, the ordination council may ordain the candidate on behalf of the church.

  1.     keywords: found worthy, may ordain, behalf (side-stepping the authority of the church)
  2.     Looks like the IFB is creeping dangerously along with an ecumenical approach
  3.     the definition of behalf: Part; side; noting substitution, or the act of taking the part of another
  4.    Again, are we a local church or not?

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah was set apart and appointed by God, not man.

(D) The pastor, or those selected by the Pastor, shall arrange for the ordination service

Summary

“Don’t think that licensing or ordination is the only spiritual “calling card.” I challenge the IFB to study licensing and ordination. By the way, have you studied the issue of ordination? I have seen over the years, that the case for the ordination of a Pastor is an unstudied part of the local church. My experience has viewed it as a time to belittle, mentally wreck, and question, based on the beliefs of men on the so-called council. Thus, I’m not convinced it is a necessary part of the IFB church but has been adopted from the connection many IFB churches had to the convention before pulling out. Consider this, are we independent or not? If so, this should be the approach; men in the local church should lay hands on the candidate, without calling in elders or pastors from other churches who have no authority in the local assembly.

By the way, God does the calling and the Holy Spirit sends. The church is a part of the process of assuring the one called has evidence of the call. However, it isn’t the responsibility of the church to decide whether God’s call on a saint is valid; however, is there evidence of the call? At least the one with the call should have a desire, burden, and evidence of fruit. (Jer. 20:9, Mal. 1:1; Hab. 1:1, Jn. 15:16)

June 27, 2021 update:

BTW, as it relates to the church, “licensing” and the insane ordination process for the pastorate is a requirement of man, not God.
Essentially, “Baptist” ordination is a ritual with roots in Catholicism, para-Baptist institutions, and convention churches.
The following is copied, but true –
“Baptist ordination, however, is not an exact reproduction of any New Testament or Early Church practice. The New Testament gives no comprehensive instructions for ordination.”
Charles Spurgeon said of ordination: “laying idle hands on empty heads.”
Baptists have a sneaky way of usurping man over God in many aspects of the church. This I speak from experience because many churches are run by the Pastor’s preferences, not by the authority granted to the church, by God.
As you tout your ordination certificate issued by a list of men not associated with the ordaining church and void of authority, remember this: Does your ordination, endorsed by sinful men, become less significant as those men fail, fall away, or backslide from the position they had as you once knew them? I’d rather rest my calling, burden, and ordination upon the One Who will never fail. You?

When we stand before the Great Judge we will stand alone!

Mark 3:13 “And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.”

Looks like God does the calling and then there was a response; they came!

Mark 3:14 “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,”

Ask yourself who “he” is in this verse. Now, let the Holy Spirit teach you.

John 15:16 “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

Acts 9:6 “So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

Acts 13:1-4 1Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. {preceding link sure is an indication of local church4So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.”

Galatians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me,”

To be obedient to God’s call one must follow and do, thus the church nor a Pastor should override or invalidate the call upon a saint’s life without Biblical cause.

https://drdonporter.com/ordaining-authority/

Eat the chicken and spit out the bones: https://www.biblesprout.com/articles/church/ordination/

2 thoughts on “Ordination Procedure

  1. 1 Corinthians 9:16 King James Version (KJV)

    16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

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