Reading: Ecuministry Ordination

Ecuministry Ordinations

You may be at Christian Leaders Institute and connected to our restorative justice program and ordination as a minister is not interesting to you. You may be already ordained and are at Christian Leaders Institute for formal ministry training. Maybe you just want our Christian training in Enterprise or Philosophy. Maybe you are just taking a few classes. Whatever the reason you are here, we want you to understand how ordination works at Christian Leaders Institute. 

Or maybe you are interested in ordination. Over 20 million have been ordained through the Universal Life Church. The interest is high in being ordained! The word ordination does not appear in the New Testament. Yet in the New Testament, "we have instances of the formal appointment or recognition of those who had already given proof of their spiritual qualification" (Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor; "Entry for 'ORDAIN; ORDINATION'," International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1915.)

Within one hundred years of the resurrection, leaders were recognized as ordained. This recognition answered the questions: How are future Christian leaders of the Church going to be noticed from other Christians who are not called into service? How will the community know those who are set apart into ministry? 

Most people expect some marker that tells us that someone is prepared and qualified to act as a leader. This question came up in the book of Timothy when the apostle Paul talked about the reproducible qualifications of the office of Elder and Deacon. 

The Apostle Paul saw ordination as an office bearer as a good thing!  

In the verses that follow, the apostle Paul outlined the qualifications for Elders and Deacons. The implication: To seek ordination as an official officer of the church is a noble pursuit! He outlines the qualification for Elders and Deacon in 1 Timothy 3. We talked about some of those in the last session. The fact is we need more Christian leaders for renewal, restoration, and revival.  We need more trained, verified, recognized, and commissioned Christian leaders. 

Since the early days of the early church, ordination practices mobilized local Episcopates (Elders, Bishops, and Overseers) Diaconates (Deacons, ministers, and servants) to serve in their communities and in their churches. The idea mirrored how the Roman culture saw someone moving up in rank. If they were a commoner and they moved up to the rank of a knight, for instance, there was a formal "ordination" that occurred. 

Throughout history, many approaches to ordination were developed for the clergy leaders. Some of those practices are steeped in church history and liturgy. Some churches sense an instantaneous word to ordain a leader on the spot. 

For over 20,000,000 people, the offer of buying a document that says they are ordained was enough to purchase an online ordination. 

There are websites that send you legal ordination papers for a fee even if you have no local church, no local accountability, no ministry training. Here is what the Universal Life Church offers for a fee:

I have noticed that many CLI students have mentioned how they have been ordained by the Universal Life Church or another online ordination option. 

Shallow Ordinations

These types of ordinations are usually legal in most places in the USA. These ordinations, however, are considered shallow in most circles. Why?

1. There is no independent verification that the ordination candidate walks with God or possesses the internal calling and the external calling. 

2. There is no community of Christians or Christian leaders who commend these leaders. The apostle Paul commended Phoebe as a deacon, Phoebe did not commend herself. Roman 16:1

3. There is no biblical training system that prepares Christian leaders. And there is no one way to independently verify that someone actually did prepare for ministry. 

4. Since these ordinations are mere transactions, a small percentage of these ordinations have occurred in local churches by existing ordained leaders.

Ordination Tied up In Church Hierarchy 

On the other side of the coin, most denominations have long and complicated paths to ordination that stop the ordination of many called Christian leaders. I was ordained in the Christian Reformed Church in 1988 as a Minister of the Word. To qualify as a candidate for ordination in this denomination, I had to get my bachelor degree from a US Department of Education college. Then, with good grades, I could be accepted into Calvin Seminary. I received my Masters of Divinity at Calvin. After graduating from Calvin Seminary, I was still not ordained. I went through preaching tests, a psychological test, church examinations at regional gatherings called "Classis" meetings. Somehow, I had to get a calling from a local Christian Reformed church that was willing to provide me with a paid position. If all those boxes and more were checked, I was ordained as a minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Even now my ordination credentials are held at a local CRC church. I am happy that I was able to jump through all those hoops, but I wonder if all these steps and processes limit the raising up more and more revival leaders.

Most ancient churches (e. g., Greek Orthodox, Catholic), reformed denominations, and non-denominational churches have high standards for ordination within their churches. 

Ordinations on the Spot

Many independent or charismatic churches do not have a consistent pattern for the ordaining of leaders. Many churches require no formal ministry training. The strength of this model is that more Christian leaders are able to be ordained into the ministry. The weakness is that without some important process in place, many ordained leaders are ordained before the due process. The apostle Paul warns,  "Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure." 1Timothy. 5:22    

The Assembly of God or the Pentecostal traditions will ordain someone if the Holy Spirit is present and someone gives a word that a certain person should be ordained. Many fine local leaders have been raised up this way. This approach brings more leaders involved in ministry. This approach can also lack some serious vetting as to whether the qualifications of ordination are met in I Timothy 3. 

James Bakker, the son of the famous television evangelist Jimmy Bakker wrote a book called, Son of a Preacher Man. In this book, he outlined how in the Assembly of God church, one can be ordained simply when a word of knowledge comes to declare that. This word of knowledge can have nothing to do with the biblical qualifications for ordained leaders. 

Different Ordination Ranks

Another problem in the current understandings of ordination is ranking. It appears that those with a seminary education and ordination have a higher ranking as clergy. This clergy ordination seems to garner more respect. A large number in every society believe this way for a number of reasons:

1. Those that have done formal ministry training are perceived to know more about the Bible and ministry-related topics.
2. Most want to put the care of their souls into the hands of trained and qualified people.
3. Many people have met people who were ordained online who had no training. The lack of training is noticed and the ordination is not trusted. 
4. People intuitively want their leaders to study the subject of their leadership. 

It is understandable that a higher perceived rank is given to those who are ordained who not only are called by God, and live a life worthy of ministry, but these ordained individuals also:

1. Completed training in their area of leadership
2. That training was highly regarded with quality professors and teachers
3. The individual was in connection with existing church leadership for accountability
4. A process of recommendations from others confirmed the ordained candidates internal and external calling
5. Some directory includes this person's name and what they have accomplished.
6. They have been ordained at a local church with the laying on of hands

All these processes are present as you study at Christian Leaders Institute. You begin your studies examining your calling for ministry. You learn who you are and what God has called you to do. You find a local mentor community to help you. You plug into a local church. When you are ordained, you are ordained in a local church setting as a deacon minister. 

Since CLI is free and generosity supported, one does not need to go into debt to be fully trained and duly ordained. 

A New Opportunity for the Existing Church to Raise up Christian Leaders

The coming of Christian Leaders Institute holds promise for local leaders to be ordained in ways that give the similar components as a leader who has gone through Bible School or seminary. In the past, most locally ordained leaders formed a laity ordained troop that lacked formal training.

Let me give you an example of that:

I grew up in Delavan, Wisconsin. My family were members of Delavan Christian Reformed Church. In most reformed churches, they ordained office bearers called "Elders and Deacons." They were nominated by the existing Elders and Deacon for an annual congregational vote. 

The selection of the locally ordained office bearers was a process that started at a consistory meeting two months before the congregational vote. At the meeting, each existing elder or deacon would comment on each of the men on the membership role.

Here were the important characteristics:

1. The man attended church twice on Sunday.
2. The man was considered to generally have the qualifications of Timothy 3.
3. The man was Dutch.
4. The man was somewhat popular with his peers. 
5. The man may have already served in the past as a Deacon or Elder. Repeat office bearers were always on the fast track to be recommissioned to serve as an elder or deacon. 
6. The man was a regular supporter of the local church.

Usually, the consistory found a slate of men to be nominated for the congregational vote. Often the slate would be predictable. The usual men would get in again. Occasionally, when men aged and they were no longer able or willing to serve again, new men would get in as office bearers.  While six men would be nominated, three would typically get elected. 

Younger men were often nominated as deacons. The deacon's main job was to count the money and to test for later nomination as an elder. If they conducted themselves as acceptable as a deacon in the consistory, they would get on the radar screen for later appointment as an elder as they aged.

Local Ordained Elders officially ran the church on all major functions:

• Calling and employing the called Pastor, who received his ordination from a partnership with the Christian Reformed denomination, and local classes and local congregations
  
• Assisting the Pastor in shepherding the local congregation, including doing home visits
  
• Supervising the Pastor's work
  
• Assisting the Pastor in Communion
  
• Leading the Committees of the Church
• Overseeing the doctrine taught at Church programs, and commissioning a leader to serve at the periodic denominational meetings called Classis and Synod
  

Local Ordained Deacons assisted the elders in the administration of the facilities and of the money and benevolence. Their tasks included:

• Taking collections and counting money and depositing the money in the bank. They oversaw the work of the treasurer. 
  
• Overseeing the facilities, including supervising the janitor and maintenance volunteers. 
  
• Distributing the benevolence funds to the poor in the church. 
  
• Assisting the elders and pastor in the programs of the church. 
  

The Ordination Process

As I mentioned before, a slate of nominees was placed to be voted on by the congregation. The congregation voted on the nominees and affirms which ones are elected as ordained office bearers. Office bearers held three-year terms. Ordained office bearers were the "elders and deacons." Even the Pastor was an "elder" or teaching elder.  All the leaders together including the pastor were called the "consistory."  In those days, all the consistory leaders, both elders and deacon, were men. If someone was elected for the first time, they were ordained into their office. If someone was returning to the office, they were "installed" again into that ordained office. Once you were ordained, you did not need to be ordained again. 

However, this ordination went active and inactive. Once you were ordained the first time, you did not need to be ordained again. You were active in that ordination while you were serving your three-year term. You were ordination-passive while you were not serving an office bearer term. If you were ordained as a deacon and were newly elected to be an elder, you were re-ordained as an elder. 

Many denominations have similar processes in place for the ordination of local elders or deacons. 

No Expectation for Ministry Training

The ordination process is outlined in denominational church order books. Each church or denomination stressed different approaches. Some, for instance, make the congregational politics the guiding direction for who will get ordained. Others stress the authority of the elders, while still others stress the hierarchy of the church, and others are led by charismatic leaders.  

Whatever the local church system, local ordained leaders are NOT considered clergy in most denominations largely because no training is required in these ordinations. All that is required is that someone generally possesses the qualifications for elder or deacon as outlined in 1 Timothy 3. 

Local Ordained Leaders Are Not Respected As Much

Most traditions have one thing in common. Local ordained Elders and Deacons are usually not expected to receive any formal ministry training. Because ministry training is lacking, the general public and many in the churches where they were ordained do not take these ordinations very seriously. No credible International ordination directory will list them. 

The office bearers that receive the formal training are the pastors who go to seminary or Bible college. The exception to this is in the Charismatic tradition where the pastor who planted a church, and it grows, is given great authority. Many times they themselves realize that they need formal ministry training.  

Christian Leaders Institute Brings Formal Ministry Training to Anyone!

Most ordination systems have local ordinations that lack one piece. That one piece is high-quality ministry training. Christian Leaders Institute provides that one piece that works with most local ordination systems.  Christian Leaders Institute can assist called Christian leaders into an ordination where they are ordained as local leaders and have all the ordination standing needed to be highly respected. 

This means local pastors can mobilize their local leaders, who will be more effective. This also means that called Christian leaders have an effective series of steps that give them a highly respected ordination that includes local leaders, ministry training at Christian Leaders Institute, and international recognition at Christian Leaders Alliance. 

Ecuministry Ordinations

The Christian Leaders Alliance has an ordaining process in place for recognizing local Christian leaders. What are characteristics of the credentialing process at Christian Leaders Alliance?

1. Local Ministry Cultivated

The local church is raising up the next generation of Christian leaders. Revival-seeking ministers are looking for those who will join the team to proclaim Christ. Many times this means recruiting believers in their churches to use their gifts for ministry. Some of these believers may sense the call to ministry. These upcoming leaders need mentoring and coaching in how to serve in their local churches and communities.

The Christian Leaders Alliance desires to help those seeking ordination, and the church leaders who desire to support this process. The ordination program is locally focused to help pastors mobilize local leaders to help in their local communities.

This program is designed for a new generation of ministers. The Christian Leaders Alliance encourages pastors to promote this program to their local leaders.

2. Local Ecuministry Ordination Touch Points

The Christian Leaders Alliance is “ecuministry” focused. We coined a new word. The word "ecumenical" has the following definition: “The adjective ecumenical refers to something universal, or something that has a wide, general application. In the world of Christianity, it refers to a universal ordination that has wide application.”  Vocabulary.com

The word "ministry" is a verb, noun, and an adjective in English. These words center around “the work the religious leader does in serving a congregation or local community.”

The Christian Leaders Alliance combines these two words to form the word “ecuministry.” We define this word in the following way: “Ecuministry refers to the universal church connection points for Christian service in a wide range of ministry settings. These settings may include denominational, non-denominational, independent, charismatic, house churches, and ancient Christian faiths such as Catholic or Orthodox.”

Another word closely related is coined as “ecuminister.” We define this term as referring to “a Christian leader who is ordained to do ministry in a wide range of settings in Christendom.”

While the Christian Leaders Alliance comes from a biblical perspective, we are careful to center on ministry training that does not focus on the differences between the strands of Christianity. Instead, the curriculum is to be beneficial for ministry leaders throughout Christendom.

3. Local Ecuministry Ordinations

Christian Leaders Alliance promotes an ecuminister grassroots ordination approach that is locally confirmed, internationally recognized, and continually supported.

One feature of the early church was that it was grassroots in methodology. People became believers and some were called to leadership. The existing elders and pastors appointed these leaders as deacon ministers. These ministers impacted their local community and were ordained as deacons. From this group of deacons, new generations of elder leaders were cultivated.

Today, people are becoming believers all over the world. Some of these believers sense the call to ministry. Chrisitan Leaders Institute is there to give scholarship-supported free high-quality ministry training. Christian Leaders Institute asks these potentially called leaders to find local mentors who are connected to their local church or ministry.

After students finish their first two classes, they have an opportunity to pursue this Local Ecuministry Ordination. Students can enroll in a one credit-hour class that goes over what a deacon minister ordination means.

They are taught ministry. They must receive three recommendations from endorsers:

• One recommendation from their spouse (if married) or another family member
• One from their local pastor/mentor
• One from a person in their community

After all the requirements of the class are completed, they can be ordained locally at their local church or ministry as a local deacon. (In the ancient traditions, they may be catechumens. For Instance, the revivalist Catholic Church Light-Life Movement leaders may find a role for these ordained leaders. In their ancient churches, they are considered Catechumens, in the Christian Leaders Alliance, they would be considered deacon ministers.)

When the Deacon Minister Ordination foundation is completed, students may study more courses at Christian Leaders Institute. After the courses are completed that connect to their calling, these students are commissioned to an ordained ministry role such as Officiant or Women’s Minister. Their ordination is established at Christian Leaders Alliance in their deacon ordination and their role as a specialized minister.

Review of the Christian Leaders Alliance Steps for Ordination as a Minister:

• Enrollment for Ministry Training at Christian Leaders College and Institute
• Complete the Christian Leaders Connection Course (3 Credits) and the Christian Basics (3 Credits)
• Take the Deacon Minister Course (1 Credit)
• Take more ministry training depending on the ministry role you are preparing for
• Commissioning to a specialized Ordained Ministry

Most taking this formal Christian leader training may not be interested in ordination or they have other ordination options. We understand that. We bring this ordination opportunity for those leaders that need this.