Called, Competent and Committed (part 1)

During a recent conversation with a friend, our discussion turned to the matter of ordination for ministry.  Like many issues in the Church we make assumptions which are not always rooted in Scripture.  I would challenge some of those traditional assumptions surrounding the issue of ordination.

At its most basic, ‘ordain’ means “to officially appoint or invest with authority”.  Where does this appointment come from?  On what criteria is the decision to ordain based?  Over the next several posts I am going to offer three benchmarks by which a person should be evaluated as to their fitness for ordination and greater ministry service, and then conclude with some thoughts on the process of ordination itself.

What do people usually consider as the most important component for someone to be ‘qualified’ for ordination?  If we are honest, the larger percent would suggest training, by which they mean education, by which they mean a degree from a Bible College or Seminary.  Ask yourself, especially if you have ever been involved with a pastoral search committee, if the possession of formal education didn’t play a large role in the selection process.  I’m not saying a quality ministry education isn’t important; I’m simply asking if it should be given the weight usually affixed to it, and if those above mentioned institutions are the best avenues for ministry training.

When considering someone for ordination, the first aspect to take account of is whether that person is called.

We read in Mark 3:13-15, “And [Jesus] went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.  And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.”* We note that it was Jesus Who specifically called and appointed the ones He wanted. 

Paul had a thriving teaching ministry in Antioch when one day the Holy Spirit spoke and said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2)  Paul later acknowledges this call of God in Galatians 1:15, “…he who had set me apart before I was born…called me by his grace…”  Paul did not undertake his missionary/church planting ministry under his own impulse.  He was specifically called out by the Spirit.

The question certainly must be raised as to how one may recognize the call either for themselves or for another.  In this regard the importance of spiritual disciplines, particularly prayer, fasting and worship, cannot be overemphasized.

In Luke’s account of the calling of the disciples he records that Jesus “went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12) Jesus invested time in serious prayer and the following morning He selected the Twelve.  In the case of Paul and Barnabas, the calling came while the leadership team was engaged in the spiritual disciplines of worship and fasting.  These men had put themselves in a position to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to them.  When Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for the local churches they did so after a time of prayer and fasting (Acts 14:23).  The Lord reveals and confirms the calling when people put themselves in position to hear Him.

Another means of recognizing the calling is through the affirmation of the church body.  When the need of the local church grew, the Apostles instructed the congregation to choose ministers “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3) who could be appointed to the work.  The seven men chosen were recognized as spiritually mature and fit to serve.  This is where real relationships in the Church serve a vital role.  Where there is discipleship and mentoring, those who exhibit a gift and desire for ministry may be more readily identified, prayed over and supported in their training.  I am convinced that the best leaders for a local church are those who are already present in the church.

In the next post I will address the second benchmark- competency.

*Scripture taken from the English Standard Bible.  Copyright © 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, A Division of Good News Publishers, 1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, USA.