Expert: Dr. (Rev.) Miles Bateman, USAF (retired) - 5/2/2008

Question
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?

Thank You!
~ Andrew"


ANSWER:   Hi Andrew! The modern Baptist practice of ordination grew out of the time when we were actually part of the Roman Catholic Church. After the reformation, we maintained several of the practices of our Catholic forerunners, this can be seen in our practice of ordination of Pastors and Ministers. In a very real sense, we maintain that Apostolic succession you mentioned, even today..
 The ordination process starts with the call of God on your life, much as it does with our Catholic counterpart, the Priest. After a public profession of faith and coming forward to meet with Church Elders, You go through a lengthy vetting process that involves prayer, fasting, written and oral tests, public/private examination and making a commitment to God and the local Church. This combined with extensive education on Holy Scripture, Church history/tradition and your chosen field of study, ready you to become ordained. The process and time limits vary with each individual candidate, but this phase usually takes more than a few years to complete.
 Unlike the centralized Catholic process that involves Rome and the Vatican, the Baptist tradition is decentralized, relying on the local body of believers, Elders, Church tradition, Church Government and adherence to Church by-laws. The education process involves both undergraduate and graduate studies at Baptist Colleges, Universities or Seminaries and ongoing training in different fields relevant to a Pastors' ministerial needs.
 Many local Baptist Churches are members of larger organizations that help out in the process by providing guidance, colleges and counseling. Some of these organizations include the Southern Baptist Convention and the the North American Baptist Convention. Membership in these organizations is often left up to the local body of believers, thus maintaining de-centralized control of the process.
 Baptists see ordained Ministers/Pastors as being chosen to shepherd the flock that God has seen fit to entrust them with. We rely heavily on scripture in the ordination process and we rely heavily on scripture during ongoing evaluations of Pastors. We believe that the authority comes from God as to who we ordain and that God has given us the tools I mentioned as a method of discernment and evaluation. Ultimately, Baptists believe we are all answerable to God and we must act accordingly.
 If you would like further information, please check with your local Baptist Church, talk with a Pastor or check out the websites of some of the organizations I mentioned. I hope this helps.
God Bless You!
Miles

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi,

    Thank you for your answer. But you didn't completely give me the information that I was looking for. I'm still wondering who in fact ordains a Baptist minister? Is it another pastor? Is it an entire congregation? Is it both? And what authority do those who ordain have? Is it just from the Bible, or does their authority come from those who ordained them? If it comes from those who ordained them, then how far back does that authority stretch? Is it in an unbroken line going back to the Apostles? I get the feeling from what you wrote that it is not, so I'm still sort of wondering.

Thank You!
~ Andrew

Answer
 Hi Andrew, The person who presides over the ordination service is another ordained Baptist Pastor, a senior Pastor. Sometimes it is a regional Pastor, a retiring Pastor (ordaining his successor) or a Pastor whom the Pastoral candidate has chosen ( such as a family member).
 Also present at the ceremony are members of the congregation, Church Elders, the Board of Directors, special guests, and members of the new Pastors family. The ceremony itself may vary, but typically it involves hymns, special music, communion, corporate prayer by the congregation/Elders for the new Pastor, and scripture reading.
 In many ways it is similiar to the Catholic service of ordination. Baptists do trace the ritual back to the time of the Apostles via our shared history with the Catholic Church. Generally the ceremony concludes with an open invitation for all of those in attendance to come forward, lay hands on the new Pastor and pray for him. The senior Pastor annoints him and he is presented as a newly ordained Pastor. After the service a reception is held for the new Pastor and his family.
 Because Catholics and Baptists share a common history from the time of the Apostles until the time of the reformation, we share alot of the same beliefs about ordination. After a Pastor is ordained and licensed he is given a certificate and license (usually signed by the President of the Church's Elder Board, the Senior Pastor and the Board of Directors) that permits him to legally perform the office and preside over weddings, funerals, baptisms etc...Usually a copy of this license is maintained at the local courthouse, church office and denominational headquarters as well.
 Although the ultimate authority rests with God and is detailed in scripture, the legal authority and accountability rest with the local body of believers and the church governance system. Usually this is set down in the Church's by-laws. Different Churches have different rules, and this is just a general guideline, if you check with your local Baptist Church they would be able to tell you more about thier specific practice.
Hope that helps! Miles