Expert: Bruce Gourley - 1/2/2006

Question
I have a peculiar situation where a sick member called her Ward-Leader Deacon, for participation in this week's Holy Communion. She particularly did not want a lot of people to her bedside. She asked for her deacon to administer her the sacriments, with the pastor's blessings. I oblidged and sent her a consoling message of faith. The deacon was confronted today by another deacon, (elder), stating that he was out of place in administering the sacriments without the pastor or another minister there. Can you shed light on this biblically. In reading Acts 6 and fulfilling a sick members request, prayer was made and this ordained brother was sent into action. I await your answer on this delicate matter. This question can be shared without giving out my name and email address.

Answer
First of all, the modern concept of ordination in Baptist circles is only loosely drawn from Scripture.  The Acts 6 passage does not mention ordination specifically; it notes that the one's chosen for ministering had hands laid upon them.  We oftentimes interpret this to mean ordination, but that is really reading more into the text than is there.  The "laying on of hands" does not equal ordination, although most formal ordination services in Baptist churches include the laying on of hands as a part of the ordination.

As to pastors only administering sacrament, it is a traditional belief among many Baptists that informally arose at some point in Baptist history, but again, it is not actually backed by Scripture (that is, the Scripture does not say that only pastors can perform ordination; and actually has little to say about formal ordination as we practice it today).  Most likely, this tradition grew out of the larger, pre-Reformation Christian (Roman Catholic, really) belief that only priests could administer sacraments.  The early Baptists shunned making such distinctions between clergy and laity, but over time some Baptists came to regard clergy only as being able to administer out two sacraments (Baptism and Communion). In other words, your elder deacon's belief that only ordained ministers can administer Communion is a church tradition held by some Baptists, not a biblical standard.

I hope this helps.