Licensing and Ordination

In ordination, the work of the Holy Spirit and the church is recognized in setting apart and assigning qualified men and women for a certain kind of ministry and the impartation of God’s grace for that ministry.

Christian ministries are not restricted to the ordained and licensed members of the church. All believers engage in ministries according to their gifts and opportunities. But all members are not commissioned to the particular ministries represented by ordination.

The act of ordination indicates being set apart for ministry on behalf of the body of Christ. Acts 13:1-3 tells of the Holy Spirit moving among the congregation at Antioch and telling them to “set apart for me Paul and Barnabas for the work …” The Bible shows that each one is called to be a witness for Jesus in the world, and yet in God’s economy of things, some are set apart for leadership of ministry.

Ordination does not indicate the special rank of one who is “closer to God” than those not ordained. Neither does it mean that a person necessarily has an inside track on God’s ways or God’s will. It does indicate, however, an act of obedience to the movement of God in one’s life and the willingness to devote one’s life to that particular place of leadership within the body of Christ.

A license is typically provided to people who demonstrate that they have the gift and ability to preach, teach, or minister as defined by the church granting the license. The license may either be a step toward ordination or an endorsement of a gifted individual for ministry within the church.