My mentor in-many-many-ways Robert Brow has a simple definition for Ordination in his WORD THOUGHTS: A Dictionary of Religions and key words I thought it’s important to deepen what it means for me to be ordained. I don’t like to see it as a promotion (as some people have hinted honestly). Because I believe responding to God’s calling is not about status, it’s about servanthood and functioning strategically for His Kingdom Agenda!
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ORDINATION
When a LEADER is to be commissioned it is important for him or her to be given public recognition.
Moses was told “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand upon him” and “he took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priestand the whole congregation; he laid his hands upon him and commissioned him” (Numbers 27:18, 22-23).
When ELDERS (bishops) were chosen for the first Greek speaking Christian congregation in Jerusalem “they had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them” (Acts 6:6). Similarly when Barnabas and Paul were sent out on the first missionary journey “after fasting and praying the prophets and teachers laid their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:3). And after planting churches in Galatia they “appointed elders for them in each church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe” (Acts 14:23).
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