Ordination is Appointment
What does it mean to be “ordained?”
Ordination, in the religious context, means to be “appointed.” Yes, that is simply what it means, to be appointed to serve as a religious leader. And that appointment, in legal-sorta terms, means that a group of people, while exercising their freedom from established religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, may appoint their own leaders. But that appointment, they are “ordained.”
Some jurisdictions give some clarification as to what they will consider a “religious body” to be and that ordination must be conducted by way of an established process or “ritual.” States like Kentucky and Tennessee, whose majority of citizens are members of highly conservative and closed-rank religious bodies, have heard court cases and questioned the “authenticity” of a particular religious organization because it did not meet their measure of such. But when it comes down to it, those ruling clearly are unconstitutional but have not been challenged as such.
But aside from some really conservative jurisdictions that are saturated with religious folks who see their role partly to block others from exercising their freedom of religion, all other American jurisdictions simply want to see some paperwork that declares than an individual has been “appointed” by and organization. Those majority of American legal jurisdictions have an ordained definition of simply appointment. It is not until an ordained minister takes their credentials to the local courthouse that they will discover whether they are in a freedom of religion jurisdiction or a jurisdiction that places their personal feelings and beliefs above those of the American freedoms as outlines in the US Constitution.
If the Christian Holy Bible has any weight in the discussion, which it should but sadly rarely does, it simply declares in St. John 15:16, ” You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and Ordained you before the foundations of the Earth.” That is is. Clear. Concise. The ordained definition according to the Gospel is that God has chosen us and if we are made aware, however that is, by an internal or external calling, then that is it. God has spoken.
Ahhh, but you then have the religious organizations across America, both small and large, who feel and act as if they are the “protectors” of Christianity. Now, if you think that God can’t take care of his own flock, and you feel that only a certain number of anointed persons in the country have an True answers to should and should not ordained, then I leave you to fell and think that way. Our purpose here is not to tear down an other’s beliefs and feelings. But, instead, we are her to declare our own – that God has made it clear that anyone who chooses to serve as an appointed religious leader, and a group, no matter how large or small wants to make that appointment of their leader(s), then that is it. We believe they should be appointed. And that God will judge the appointee, that God will guide that appointee, that God will deal with that appointee at the day of judgement.
Now, even though we may hold a different view that other religious organizations about ordained definition, that does not mean we think everyone should be ordained. Each group must use their common sense when making an appointment. Within my church, when we appoint a youth pastor, we do some checking to protect our children. That is just one example. But we do that internally and are not ruled by external forces as to whom we may or may not ordain.
So the definition of ordination remains to be “appointed.” And, although some organizations and some legal jurisdictions may have a difference of opinion or standard of acceptance of any particular ordination credentials, that does not in any way nullify an ordination made, an appointment made, by a religious group or organization. Period. That is our right under the Gospels, that is our right under the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
If you seek to serve, then seek ordination from those who will give it. One group that will ordain you is www.StreetBishops.com . This group as been around for about 10 years and has ordained in excess of 1,600 pastors. Their pastors come from all backgrounds, denominations, and ministries. www.StreetBishops.com was founded to be a place for those who want to serve and are be restricted from appointment locally.
