I hope this will help you in some way as you seek to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am the Director of Missions for the South Central Baptist Association in West Plains, Missouri. This is in no way my original thought but has been developed after many years of use by Southern Baptist Churches. It has also been adapted in use from many resources and all including Revivalist, which grant you the right to copy and use.
Ordination
and License
Every Southern Baptist church is
autonomous and establishes its own policies but there are some
regular procedures that seem to be used by most Southern Baptist
churches. Each local church determines who they will ordain.
License
Licensing is the church’s tentative approval for a man to serve until he has proved himself qualified
for ordination. The practice of granting a license to
a minister the following steps are usually taken:
1. The person to be licensed makes it public to the church and expresses his belief that God is calling him to the ministry.
2. He asks the church to grant him a license.
3. The church then votes to grant the license or not.
4. A “Certificate of License” (which can be purchased at a Christian book store) is filled out and presented to the minister.
Ordination
Ordination usually takes place and is
more common practice, when the minister begins serving in a
church. The following are the most traditional steps:
1. A church calls a minister as pastor or to a position in some field of ministry ( education, music, youth, etc.).
2. The church who calls the person may perform the ordination, or ask the his “home” church to perform the ordination. Most will request the “home” church to ordain. This also shows prayer support from the home church.
3. The pastor, a minister, or the chairman of deacons of the ordaining church presents the request to the church and asks for permission to convene an “Ordination Council.” The church should not be hasty in ordaining an individual. The church should be certain he has the scriptural qualifications to serve as a minister. The candidate should prove himself before he is considered for ordination.
4. If the request is approved, a time and place is established for the Ordination Council and ordained persons (deacons and ministers) are invited. These may be persons who are members of that particular church as well as ordained persons from other churches. It is a good practice to involve fellow churches as this involves support, prayer and fellowship from the community.
5. The pastor, a minister, the director of missions, or the chairman of deacons may preside over the Ordination Council until a chairman is elected. The chairman leads in the questioning of the person to be ordained. Usually the person being ordained is seated so that he is facing those who are asking questions. Any person who is present may ask questions. Usually the person being ordained is asked to briefly tell of his salvation experience and his call to the Gospel Ministry. Other questions may be centered around biblical theology, ethics, morals, personal beliefs, missions, cooperative program, virgin birth, errors in the bible, etc.
6. The Ordination Council votes on whether to recommend that the church proceed with the ordination of this man. The council may choose to delay the ordination or even reject the candidate. That is why it may be best to hold the council one week prior to the ordination service. The questioning should not be done in a way to promote fear but in a loving manner to help him express his call and beliefs.
7. If the Council votes to recommend the ordination, the pastor or chairman of the Ordination Council presents the recommendation to the church, either at a regular business meeting or a called business meeting, for church approval.
8. If the church approves, a date for an Ordination service will be set. The service follows the order of a regular worship service with modifications. Someone (or two people) may give a “charge to the candidate” and a “charge to the church.” Appropriate music is selected. Someone may preach an ordination sermon. Someone will pray an ordination prayer and ordained persons will “lay on hands.” The person being ordained should be presented a very nice Bible and along with his wife and family receive the congratulations of the people after the benediction. The service should be not more than one hour in length.
9. A Certificate of Ordination is presented (may be purchased at a Christian book store).
A minister in most cases may
perform marriages and conduct funerals, etc., if he is licensed
by a local church. Most local churches require ordination for a
man to be their pastor but most churches leave this choice to the
staff member, if other than pastor.
Sample Ordination
Service With One Speaker:
Call to Worship
Hymn of Praise
Scripture and Prayer
Introductory Statement (Tell why you have gathered.)
Presentation of the Candidate and His Family
The Ordination Prayer (Candidate will kneel facing the congregation.)
Laying on of Hands
(While the candidate is kneeling, ordained men in the congregation will file by and place their hands on the candidate’s head and whisper a prayer, or an encouraging word to the minister.)
Presentation of the Bible
Special Music
Message
Hymn of Commitment
(Remember, God may choose this time to call someone else into the ministry.)
Closing Prayer
The entire congregation will greet the candidate and his family.
Sample
Ordination Service With A Separate Charge
To Candidate and Church
Call to Worship
Hymn of Praise
Scripture and Prayer
Introductory Statement (Tell why you have gathered.)
Presentation of the Candidate and His Family
Charge To The Candidate
Hymn of Praise (or appropriate special music.)
The Ordination Prayer (Candidate will kneel facing the congregation.)
Laying on of Hands
(While the candidate is kneeling, ordained men in the congregation will file by and place their hands on the candidate’s head and whisper a prayer, or an encouraging word to the minister.)
Presentation of the Bible
Special Music
Charge To The Church
Hymn of Commitment
(Remember, God may choose this time to call someone else into the ministry.)
Closing Prayer
The entire congregation will greet the candidate and his family.
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Copyright 2002 Bob Wood
All Rights
Reserved by
and Bob
Wood
