Ordination

[Karlena]

When someone is fulfilling their ministry, this is further evidence of the call. It is also an indication of commitment and responsibility on the part of the minister—that they are taking their call seriously. Fulfilling one's ministry is, in effect, is also an act of obedience to the call of God.

I think that ordination is yet another step in what Rev. Stan Powers' has termed "defining relationships." For example, ordination helps to protect the body of Christ. It is a process of trying to make sure that credible, responsible people who have been divinely appointed for ministry are granted appropriate and publically recognized authority within their ministry context.

[Micah]

I hadn’t though of ordination in this way before, but these two things seem crucial. The act of obedience and stepping into the responsibility of the call is such an important thing; even if it simply means having the moment that both a minister and those around them can point back at and say “that is when I stepped over a threshold into obedience to God’s call in my life.” Through this, it serves as encouragement and accountability to the responsibility of the call of God.

In terms of protecting the body, ACOP’s process of having ordination be something initiated by the regional director also helps steward appointing leaders well, creating a well thought-out process that allows the moderately loose nature of the Fellowship to still produce credible and quality leaders to fulfil Jesus’ command to be shepherds and “feed his sheep.”

[Bonani]

The fact that a candidate for ordination is fulfilling their ministry is further proof that they qualify for ordination because ordination does not confer ministry on one but is recognition of one’s ministry that they are already doing and the call of God upon their life.