A Short History of Ordination

An e-mail from the Ministerial Dept. of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists included a link to a lecture video on a short history of ordination in the Christian church. It’s good to listen to it (viewing is optional since the camera doesn’t pan to the slides) but for those not inclined to spend the 36 minutes, here are my notes.

Darius Jankiewicz (Yun-kye-vich) is an Australian of Polish birth. He emigrated from Poland to Australia in 1986 and there attended Avondale College. After a few years of ministry in Sydney, he and his wife moved to Berrien Springs, Michigan, to continue his education at Andrews University, where he first completed an MDiv and then a PhD focused on historical theology and specifically Roman Catholic ecclesiology. Following his studies at Andrews, he returned to ministry in Australia (Tasmania) and then became a missionary teacher at Fulton College in Fiji. From there, he was invited to become an associate professor of historical theology at the Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He has been married to his lovely Australian wife, Edyta, for over 22 years and has two wonderful daughters, Caitlin (13) and Ashley (11).

This presentation was given at the 2012 Women Clergy Conference sponsored by the NAD Ministerial Department. nadministerial.org/

• There is no clear, unambiguous support for ordination on any kind in scripture.
• Laying on of hands, when found in scripture, is most often associated with healing, and then with granting of spiritual gifts.
• Ordination is derived from political practices of the Roman empire where individuals were granted entry to a higher class of society.
• Tertullian was the first to introduce the practice of ordination into Christianity.
• He wanted to show that Christianity was a reasonable religion acceptable to pagan Rome because of similar practices.
• He knew exactly what he was doing - that he was introducing hierarchy into the Christian religion.
• Bishop/pastor, elder, deacon - threefold distinction traces back to Iganatius - in Acts, there is no distinction.
• In name of unity, power is centralized in one person.
• Prior to this time, each local church had multiple "bishops."
• Hippolytus - each office requires separate ordination.
• Iranaeus - in the name of unity, introduces concept that ordination confers a special spiritual gift of truth and discernment; i.e., infallibility; and this gift granted by succession of ordinations.
• Tertullian - introduces distinction between clergy and laity.
• Cyprian develops concept of Christian priesthood where ordained priests are now mediators between laity and God; i.e., ordained clergy required for sacraments; authority of ordained clergy increases.
• Augustine introduces the concept of an "indelible seal" of ordination, raising ordained minister to a higher spiritual level, a privileged order, and becomes channel of grace to laity.
• In three centuries, Christian ministry changes from functional to sacramental.
• Absolute ordination; ca. 4th-5th century - ordination (laying on of hands) assigned to person, rather than task. Ca. Council of Chalcedon. Prior to this, ordination was for a person to accomplish a task in a particular community.
• Towards end of 5th century - Pope Gelasius irked by reports of (impl. ordained) women ministering in churches.
• The practice of ordination only being allowed to be performed by ordained ministers dates back to Hippolytus. In Acts, all believers lay hands on Paul and Barnabas to set them aside for a specific ministry task.
• Jerome - utters that Christian community cannot exist without ordained, male ministers.
• Reformation did not alter ordination practices.
• First face of Adventism - no priests, no organization.
• Adventism realized some organization necessary for mission.
• Adventist ordination was originally functional. But has it changed to become sacramental?
• Two models of the church - both have organization - but function in different ways.
• 1) Church as an organization; 2) Church as a missionary movement.
• 1) Organization is essential for the existence of the church. Organization understood sacramentally - salvation comes from the organization. Dedicated to preservation of the organization, in the name of unity. Goal of church is mediation of salvation to its members. Ordination is a big issue.
• 2) Organization is not essential for the existence of the church. Understood functionally. Organization does not save anyone. Organization seeks to preserve mission. Goal is mission to the world. Organization can be changed and adapted to mission. Ordination is not an issue.
• The longer an organization exists, the more it is tempted to become sacramental.