ORDINATION: A DIVINE AND PROPHETIC ORDER:

ORDINATION: A DIVINE AND PROPHETIC ORDER:

WHAT IS ORDINATION?

Ordination is a formal (official) religious ceremony by which a person is consecrated (set apart for God's work). Through this ceremony, the candidate or minister is officially integrated into the pastoral ministry, and this act confers upon them the spiritual authority necessary to guide the community of believers.

"In Christianity, this rite intimately unites the candidate with the person of Christ to serve the Church, the Body of Christ."

Acts 13:2-3

2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 So, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them out.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ORDINATION?

Ultimately, the purpose of ordination is to consecrate ministers to perpetuate Christ's mission and guide the community of believers.

Secondly, the fundamental role of ordination is to identify the minister with Christ, making him an official representative of Christ on earth, in the universal Church and in the local church. Thus, the priest or minister becomes a living image of Christ for his community.

The third objective of ordination is to ensure the continuity of the spiritual mission that Christ entrusted to his Church: through this act, the Church of Jesus Christ directly perpetuates the pastoral authority given by Jesus to his apostles.

Note: "Ordained ministry is not an honorary privilege, but a total commitment to the service of the Word and the Christian community."

Fourth, ordination confers upon the candidate the spiritual and ecclesiastical authority necessary to carry out sacred missions (for example, blessing a marriage and celebrating a baptism). The ordained minister also receives the official authority to carry out spiritual and ecclesiastical missions within the Church, the Body of Christ.

Fifth, the act or ceremony of ordination serves to officially and publicly present the new minister of God, consecrated in the presence of his community so that he may be honored and respected within it and in the Church, the Body of Christ. This means that someone who does not follow this process, this act, may certainly serve God, but he will face the question of honor, respect, and credibility in the exercise of his ministry.

WARNING:

Three essential points should be remembered regarding ordination:

First, ordination does not make you a servant of God, but it confirms, through the elders of the community, the calling that the candidate has received from God. Therefore, if you do not have a genuine calling from God, no matter how great the person who consecrates or ordains you, this act will not be recognized in Heaven.

Secondly, these acts do not confer any special anointing upon you. They confirm the anointing you received from God at your calling, and the oil that will be applied to your head will be a representation of that anointing you received from God Himself, for it is not men who anoint, but God Himself through the elders.

Thirdly, it is essential to understand that ordination is a sacred act, and ministry is even more so. If you do not properly fulfill your duties, you risk God's judgment and premature death, curses, and a great judgment awaits you in the last days, where you will have to give an account of your ministry and the calling God has entrusted to you. Therefore, be serious in everything you do for God.