Video Transcript: Ordination, Endorsement, and Public Trust

Ordination, Endorsement, and Public Trust

[Henry]:
Henry and Tom, back with you. Today, we’re discussing something vital in the world of chaplaincy and ministry: ordination, endorsement, and public trust.

As I look back on the journey of Christian Leaders Institute (CLI), I’ve seen firsthand why credible ordination is so important. You, Tom, were in the military for many years, so you’ve seen this from another side. Let’s dive in.

Tell us: why does ordination matter, and what challenges have you seen when ordination isn’t taken seriously?

[Tom]:
Great question, Henry.

When an institution—whether it’s a hospital, a military unit, or a community organization—chooses you to be their chaplain, they’re placing a lot of trust in you. They’re assuming you are:

• A person of integrity

• A person of spiritual maturity

• And someone who is trained and prepared to do this work professionally

Now, I’ve had volunteer chaplains who told me, “I’m not a professional—I don’t get paid.” And I’ve always said:

“You may not get paid—but you are a professional because you’ve followed a program of study and earned trust.”

And that trust is everything.

[Henry]:
And that’s where problems can come in, right? Let’s talk about one of the more troubling stories from your time reviewing chaplain applications.

[Tom]:
Yes. During my time in the military, we occasionally received chaplain applications from individuals who didn’t have credible theological training. One applicant submitted a transcript from a “seminary” that raised red flags.

The name sounded official, but the address? Just a P.O. box.

So, I went to their website, and I sent them a message saying something like,

“Hi, I’m Tom. I’ve been in ministry for a long time. I’d like to get a doctorate in theology.”

Within hours, they called me back and said:

“If you give us a few hundred dollars, we’ll award you a Doctor of Theology. You can even choose your GPA, and we’ll send you a full transcript with all the courses listed.”

I said, “I haven’t taken any of those courses.”
They said, “Well, if you’ve been in ministry for ten years, we assume you’ve preached sermons. So we’ll give you credit for courses like Preaching and Worship, Advanced Preaching, even Master’s-level preaching courses.”

I replied, “But I didn’t even send you my resume.”

They said, “Doesn’t matter. We’ll just base it on your likely experience.”

Eventually, when I kept pressing, they hung up on me after lowering the price twice.

When I got home, I joked with my wife:

“I could have skipped seminary and my entire Doctor of Ministry degree. I could have just spent $200!”

But here’s the real problem:
People know these fake credentials exist, so there’s skepticism around ordination.

When someone says, “Oh, I’m an ordained chaplain,” people think, “Where’d you get that—off the internet?”

[Henry]:
Exactly. And this is one of our biggest challenges at Christian Leaders Institute and Christian Leaders Alliance.

Because our classes are free, people sometimes assume we’re one of those organizations. It looks “spammy” on the surface—until they enroll and realize:

“Whoa—this is real. This is rigorous.”

We hear it all the time from students:

“I didn’t expect to work this hard—but I’m growing. I’m learning. This is legit.”

Yes, our classes are free, but our credentialing is not, because our team verifies references, checks requirements, and upholds standards of excellence.

And our ordination pathway? It’s part of our U.S. Department of Education candidacy journey because we know credibility matters.

[Tom]:
Absolutely. It matters for every chaplain out there. Because here’s the thing:

If one person shows up with fake credentials and does something irresponsible or unethical, it doesn’t just affect them—it damages public trust in all chaplains.

[Henry]:
That’s why this issue is so important—not just for your personal ministry, but for the public reputation of chaplaincy as a whole.

If you’re a CLI student or graduate, I want you to hear this:
You are part of a movement to bring credibility back to volunteer and vocational ministry.

When you complete your training… earn your credentials… and serve your community with integrity and competence… You build trust.

[Tom]:
That trust gives you access to the sacred moments of people’s lives—birth, crisis, grief, recovery, and celebration.

That access must be earned. Not bought.

[Henry]:
Amen to that. So as you continue your training at CLI, remember:

• Your studies matter

• Your integrity matters

• And the trust you carry into every hospital, firehouse, jail, workplace, or civic event—it matters more than ever

Because you’re not just holding a certificate.
You’re holding the trust of a community.

[Tom]:
Well said, Henry. 

[Henry]:
You know, in so many ways, Tom, we feel that way about you, our students.

Many of you are in difficult financial situations—maybe you’re a single mom, maybe you’re retired, or maybe you’ve been through hardships that make traditional education seem out of reach.

You can’t afford a $10,000 bachelor’s degree. So you’re here, taking online correspondence courses at Christian Leaders Institute. And let’s be honest—these courses are challenging. You’re staying up late, studying hard, sacrificing time.

But sometimes, there’s a lingering question in your heart:

“Is this real? Can this truly be trusted?”

Because you’re not paying thousands of dollars, and you’ve been conditioned to think that value equals price. But here’s the truth:

Your challenge is not just the academics—it’s believing that this calling is worth pouring yourself into… even when the world says, “You didn’t pay enough.”

[Tom]:
That’s so well said. And here’s what you’ll discover:

The first time you serve as a chaplain—whether it's at a hospital, a jail, a workplace, or a disaster site—and a situation arises… you’ll realize:

You are equipped.

You’ll know how to step in. Maybe not perfectly, but prepared—because you studied, you trained, you didn’t just “buy a certificate.”

You see, my dad used to joke:

“Send in $2 and some cereal box tops, and we’ll mail you a degree.”

But that doesn’t prepare you to walk with someone through death, addiction, grief, or trauma.

And chaplaincy? It’s too important, too sacred, too complex to just wing it.

[Henry]:
Exactly. That’s why we keep coming back to this core truth:

Trust matters.

As a chaplain, you’re showing up in sacred and high-stakes moments. And people ask:

• Who are you?

• Are you trained?

• Can we trust you?

That’s why ordination, endorsement, and public trust are serious business. Because the work is serious. It’s not casual.

📖 Biblical Ordination

[Henry]:
Let’s go to the Bible.
In Acts 6, the apostles didn’t randomly assign ministry leaders. They chose, commissioned, and laid hands on them.
In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas were commissioned through prayer and fasting.

Ordination in the Bible is:

• Spiritual

• Communal

• Confirmed by the body of believers

Let’s talk about that, Tom—biblical ordination.

[Tom]:
Yes—biblical ordination isn’t a DIY process.

Nobody just woke up and said, “I’m in charge now.”
It began when the church community observed someone’s:

• Gifts

• Character

• Integrity

• And their impact over time

Then, after seeing the fruit, the community laid hands and said,

“We believe this person has been empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve.”

The same thing happens in chaplaincy. You might already be part of a group—maybe a volunteer team, a veteran organization, or a ministry. Over time, they see you, hear you, watch you in crisis, and they say:

“We want YOU to be our chaplain.”

Then you add training to that calling. And that’s when you’re truly prepared.

[Henry]:
That’s so true. And I often think about Acts 6 again.

Those early deacons? In many ways, they were like the first chaplains. The apostles were preaching and teaching, but there was a real-life need—the widows were being overlooked.

So these deacons were chosen to serve. To sojourn with the people. And the process included:

• Prayer

• Selection

• The laying on of hands

That’s what credibility looked like. It wasn’t casual—it was sacred.

At Christian Leaders Institute, we say this plainly:

“If you’re just here to get a quick credential, please leave.”

This is not about checking a box. It’s about taking your calling seriously.

[Tom]:
And the phrase “calling confirmed by the church” is so important.

When I became a chaplain, yes, I felt a personal call from God. But my church community also said:

“We believe in you. We see your gifts. We support you.”

In the Auxiliary Chaplain Program, we ask for the same thing.
Before someone becomes a volunteer chaplain, their local church must recommend them.

Then, when they complete the process, we encourage a commissioning ceremony—not just for celebration but for the church to pray over them, stand with them, and affirm their calling.

[Henry]:
We do the same thing at Christian Leaders Alliance.

Our credentialing system requires:

• References

• Endorsements

• And for higher levels of ordination, multiple confirmations

And then we offer a commissioning service liturgy—a beautiful, communal way of affirming the call.

Because when people ask, “What does ordination mean today?”—the answer is:

It means credibility. Support. Trust. Calling. Accountability. Integrity.

You are bathed in credibility, not by a title, but by a process that reflects the sacredness of the role.

🙏 Final Thoughts

[Henry]:
So wherever you are in your journey today, remember this:

• Your training matters.

• Your calling matters.

• Your ordination should reflect your integrity and your commitment to serve.

This is not about power. It’s about trust.

[Tom]:
And this isn’t just between you and God—this is also about your church family, your community, your team, saying:

“We believe in you. We’re behind you.”

That’s what biblical ordination is. That’s what real public trust is.

[Henry]:
Amen. So keep praying, keep studying, and keep seeking God’s will.

Because when the day comes for you to show up—at the bedside, on the battlefield, in the crisis center—you’ll know:

“I didn’t buy this. I was called to this. And I’m ready.”

In some church traditions, the word ordination is very familiar. In others, it might be referred to as endorsement or commissioning.

I’m no English scholar, but I’ve always wondered if ordination shares a root with the word order. And that reminds me of when we were back at Calvin Seminary, Tom—remember the Church Order class?

[Tom]:
Oh yes. And the professors loved quoting:

“Everything shall be done decently and in order.” (1 Corinthians 14:40)

That idea of order really mattered—not just organizationally, but spiritually.

📌 Four Key Principles of Ordination

[Henry]:
At its core, ordination has four essential components:

1. The Individual Has a Sense of Calling
   You feel something stirring inside you, that maybe God is calling you to serve.

2. Formal Training
   Like us back in seminary, you take that first step—training. Even if you doubt your ability, you press forward.

3. Public Recognition
   Your church or ministry community confirms what they see in you. They say:

   “Yes, we affirm this calling.”

4. Accountability
   Once ordained, you are accountable to a governing body—your church, your denomination, your organization.

[Tom]:
Exactly. And it’s the same in chaplaincy. You sense a calling. You pursue training. Then, an institution says:

“We want you to serve as our chaplain.”

From that point on, you are accountable for doing the job with integrity, following the expectations, and submitting to evaluation.

And if you don’t meet those expectations, they should be able to say, “This isn’t working. Let’s talk about why.”

🏛 How CLI and CLA Handle Ordination

[Henry]:
Let me explain how we do this at Christian Leaders Institute and Christian Leaders Alliance.

You begin with the internal call—your sense that God is calling you.

But almost always, that calling has already been noticed by others. Friends, pastors, and fellow believers have likely seen something in you. That’s the external call beginning to form.

So, you begin your training here at CLI.

• First, we ask for one reference.

• As you progress to new levels of chaplaincy, we require two, then three references and endorsements.

• Our complete process ensures you’ve been trained, recommended, and vetted.

When you order your credentials, you can stand confidently knowing:

“This was not bought. It was earned.”

If someone disagrees with our statement of faith or is not living a life consistent with biblical conduct, we take that seriously.

We’ve had very few removals from our directory since 2014, but we have removed people. We maintain the right to do so because integrity matters.

[Tom]:
That same principle applies in our Auxiliary Chaplain Program with the Coast Guard. It’s a newer program, but after a few years, we began conducting formal evaluations.

And yes, we had to remove some chaplains.

What’s interesting is this:
When that happened, the highest-ranking leaders in the Coast Guard told us:

“Now we know we can take this program seriously—because you take your standards seriously.”

📚 The Challenge of Academic Rigor

[Henry]:
And that’s why we don’t cut corners with training.

Students ask, “Can I get ordained even if I didn’t pass the class?”
They say, “I have the heart for ministry.”

And we say, “That’s great—but it’s not enough.”

We are a school. We uphold standards. Sometimes, the problem isn’t a lack of ability—it’s that the student didn’t take the course seriously.

We’ve had people who failed a course, asked to retake it immediately, and we’ve said:

“No. You need to wait six months and approach this with the seriousness it deserves.”

Because we know:

“The last thing you want is to find yourself in a high-stakes ministry situation without the tools to serve well.”

🛡️ The Power of Endorsement

[Henry]:
Let’s talk about endorsement, Tom. What’s the power behind it?

[Tom]:
Endorsement is public trust in action.

It’s when someone vouches for you, not just privately, but officially. They say:

“We trust this person to represent Christ. We believe in their character, competence, and calling.”

Endorsement:

• Confirms a calling

• Builds public trust

• Adds accountability

• Opens ministry doors that would otherwise stay shut

And in many cases, especially in the military, prison, or hospital systems, you cannot serve without an official endorsement.

[Henry]:
Yes—and at Christian Leaders Alliance, we see endorsement as sacred. It’s more than a signature. It’s the body of Christ saying “yes” to your ministry.

That’s why we train, verify, require references, and offer commissioning services that root your role in biblical tradition.

We want every chaplain, every minister, every volunteer to say:

“I didn’t sneak into this. I was called, trained, endorsed, and sent.”

🙏 Final Thoughts

[Henry]:
Friends, we know this path is not easy.

You’ve probably already faced doubts:

• “Am I really called?”

• “Do I belong here?”

• “Is this training legitimate?”

Let me tell you clearly:
You belong here if you’re studying hard, following Jesus, and seeking to serve.
And we’re building something credible, honorable, and sacred.

[Tom]:
And when you show up as a chaplain someday—on that day when someone is hurting or broken, and they ask, “Who are you?”—you’ll be able to say:

“I am ordained. I am endorsed. I am trained. I am sent. I am ready.”

[Henry]:
Maybe this is a bit simplistic, but it’s worth saying—many of us have a pretty high opinion of ourselves. That’s not always a bad thing, but it becomes a problem if we don’t also listen to what others say about us, good or bad.

When a hospital, prison, or business lets you in as a chaplain, they’re not just opening a door—they’re giving you access to people, often at their most vulnerable.

And because they are liable if something goes wrong, they don’t want to just know what you say about yourself. They want to know:

“What do the people around you say? Are you of good character? Are you called? Are you prepared?”

[Tom]:
That’s right. In the military, I went through the process of getting security clearances multiple times. And let me tell you—it’s not a form you fill out.

They literally go to people’s homes, sit down for an hour, and ask questions about their background, behavior, and integrity.

Now, chaplaincy isn’t that intense, but the principle is the same:

The institution needs to know that people who know you believe in your character and are willing to vouch for you.

And if you can’t find someone to vouch for your character… that might be a sign you need to build deeper relationships and cultivate that trust.

[Henry]:
That’s so biblical, too. Think of 2 Timothy 2:2:

“The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”

Faithful people recognizing faithful people.

And I want to be honest—some of you taking this course may need to align yourself with a local body of Christ. Maybe the pandemic pulled you away, or maybe you're a new believer.

Yes, you can grow spiritually online, and yes, CLI offers powerful study tools. But ministry involves community. It requires real people, real accountability, and real encouragement.

That’s why we say:

“Everyone needs a mentor—and everyone should mentor someone.”

👥 The Culture of Mentorship

[Tom]:
Let’s discuss that mentorship culture. My church has a large recovery program that partners with AA.

When someone commits to the recovery process, they’re paired with a sponsor—someone who’s been through it. They understand the struggle. They encourage. They check in. They help the new person walk the path.

My daughter’s church assigns a mentor couple to every couple getting married. Not to be their boss, but to be a safe place, someone they can call when things get hard, especially when they don’t want to call their mom!

[Henry]:
And here’s a key insight you mentioned earlier:

This isn’t “perfect people recognizing perfect people.”

This is faithful people recognizing faithfulness, not flawlessness.

You’re not being evaluated on whether you’ve lived a sinless life. You're being recognized for your willingness to walk in obedience, to grow, and to serve others faithfully.

[Tom]:
Exactly. Every one of us is a cracked pot, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4—we minister from a place of brokenness.

“When I am weak, then I am strong.”

That brokenness makes us relatable. It allows us to walk alongside others in their brokenness because we’ve been there.

🇳🇱 A Dutch Christian Heritage: Moderation, Gratitude, and Growth

[Henry]:
You and I share something else—we’re both Dutch Christians from a Reformed background. I know this is a little off script, but there’s something in our upbringing that speaks to what we’re talking about.

For instance, growing up, we had the Call to Confession every Sunday and recited the Ten Commandments weekly. As a kid, I wondered, “Why do we do this?”

Later in life, I asked my dad—he was in his 90s, a godly man. He told me:

“We just need to know what we’re capable of in our sinful nature. Stay clear with the Lord. Grow in His grace. And live by the fruit of the Spirit.”

And one of those fruits that we don’t talk about enough is self-discipline. It leads to moderation, wisdom, and a faithful life.

[Tom]:
Yes! And in that same Reformed tradition, we didn’t just get the Law—we got the Assurance of Pardon right after.

So we weren't learning the Law as a tool to crush us—we learned it in the context of grateful living. We obey, not to earn salvation, but in response to salvation. That’s why it was taught under the section of Gratitude, not Condemnation.

[Henry]:
Amen. And that perspective helps us when we feel unworthy.

Some of you may think, “I’m not good enough to serve.” But it’s because you’ve walked through brokenness and cried out, “God, save me in spite of me,” that you can now relate to others.

[Tom]:
And that’s key—if you haven’t had that kind of moment, where you realize your need for grace, you may struggle to relate to those who are coming to you broken and desperate for hope.

You don’t have to share all your private struggles, but let people know:

“I’ve been there. I get it. I’m still growing too.”

🪪 The Real-World Importance of Public Trust

[Henry]:
Let’s wrap with this. Public trust is very real.

When I walk into a hospital and show my clergy credential, the security guard says, “Right this way, Pastor.” That card matters. It opens doors. And that’s not just about me—it’s about the credibility behind the card.

[Tom]:
Absolutely. The public wants to know:

• Who sent you?

• Are you trained?

• Can we trust you with people’s lives, hearts, and souls?

That’s why ordination and endorsement matter. They’re not just paperwork, they’re spiritual affirmations backed by real preparation.

📖 Ministry Sciences Insight

[Henry]:
Here’s the Ministry Sciences Insight we want to leave you with:

Legitimacy = Calling + Recognition + Readiness

You’ve sensed the call.
Others have affirmed it.
You’re preparing through training and accountability.

That legitimacy enables trusted spiritual leadership in public places.

[Tom]:
That trust allows us to step into sacred spaces—places where people are hurting, questioning, and looking for hope. Without trust, we don’t get that access. But when we’ve earned it—through our lives, our training, and our community support—God can use us powerfully.

[Henry]:
So until next time, walk in humility, pursue readiness, and let your life be one of faithful witness.

We'll see you in the next session.