Pacific Union Recorder—January 2022

Page 12

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Ordained, Anointed, Destined for Ministry

I

’m a bit new to thinking deeply about ordination.

wedding. Nowadays, you can apply for and purchase

Oh sure, I’ve always known that ordination was a

an ordination certificate so that the signature on the

significant step for ministers and that it afforded

marriage license is official.

those ministers the opportunity to lead out in

If you check with Wikipedia (and what great

certain activities within our church. I understood that

researcher doesn’t?), the first lines in the entry on

ordination was that point after which someone was

ordination tell us:

known as “Elder.”

Ordination is the process by which individuals

But, as an educator—and as a female—ordination

are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated

seemed to be a topic that concerned others. That

from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus

has changed over the past months, and the topic of

then authorized (usually by the denominational

ordination has been something I’ve thought much

hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform

more about. For instance, I am convinced that

various religious rites and ceremonies.

education equals ministry. Ministry happens every day

The Wikipedia entry then goes on to explain that

in Adventist education.

in most Protestant churches, ordination is the rite by

When teachers present a new concept, they often

which an individual is authorized to take on the office

begin with the vocabulary and define the terms. So,

of ministry.

what does ordination mean?

There is certainly a plethora of other scholarly,

In some circles, ordination has come to mean

theological, and opinion pieces to be found about

the process you go through online so that you can

ordination, particularly within the Seventh-day

become an officiant for a friend or family member’s

Adventist Church. In our early church history, there

12 Pacific Union Recorder


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