Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 5/2/2008

Question
Dear Reverend,

   I understand that Baptists do not have any type of Apostolic Succession, like the Roman Catholic Church does, so who ordains a Baptist minister? Where do the Baptist Church leaders get their authority to ordain? The Roman Catholic Church believes that every Roman Catholic Bishop can trace his ordination backwards through a succession of ordinations all the way to the Apostles. So that by means of touch all bishops can trace their authority to the Apostles through an unbroken line of ordination.

   What do Baptists believe about their ordinations? Where does the authority come from?  What does it mean to ordain a pastor? Who does the ordaining? Is it another pastor, or is it a congregation, or is it both? If a congregation is involved, then do all the members lay hands on the candidate? And where does the authority of those who ordain come from? Is it from the Bible, or from those who ordained them? If its from those who ordained them, then how far back does that authority go? Does it go all the way back to the Apostles in an unbroken line of ordinations? And finally what does it mean to Baptists when a man is ordained? What kind of power and authority does he have that an ordinary layman does not have? What can he do which an ordinary layman cannot do?

I have heard that some evangelical churches have men leading the church who are not ordained. How can this be? How can he do the Eucharist celebration if he is not ordained? How can he officiate at marriages? If this is the case then what makes the ordained minister any different from a minister who is not ordained? What kind of extra powers does a man who is ordained have? If there is really no difference, they why bother ordaining? Why did Church leaders in the New Testament ordain when any man from the church can do the job?

I know that I have listed a lot of questions, but my inquiring mind would like to know.

Thank You!
~ Andrew

Answer
Hi Andy,

Thank you for this interesting question.  This question shows the very different view of what the Church is from Catholic to Baptist.  You see, the Greek word for church means "called out assembly"  If it cannot assemble, it is not a church.  The Church is not a denomination or a mystical invisable body.  THerefore it is the Local church that recognizes God's call on a young man and comissions him to a particular service.

THe term ordained in the Bible simply means to be chosen.  We do not believe that an ordination service conveys any more grace upon the young man than what he had before.  It simply recognizes what God has placed there.  We do not have to trace authority back, because the authority comes from the Bible.  The minister does not forgive sin, or consecrate the communion.  THis is why it does not require ordination to perform the ordinences.

In The Bible, the Local Church leaders were led by God to comission the young men to the ministry from that church.

Acts 13:1-4


Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.  2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don