Where Do Pastors Come From?

A few weeks ago, the elders at Faith laid hands on one of our members before sending him overseas with his family to plant a church. They declared to our church that he had been ordained for ministry. You may be wondering what that was all about.

What is ordination?

Ordination is the process by which local churches test, affirm, and commission men to pastoral ministry, including missions. When a person is saved, God gifts them with particular gifts for the benefit of the church. Some of these are pastoral gifts. We don’t have the audible voice of God (“I choose you”) as Moses and Aaron did at their ordination in the Old Testament, but we do have the Bible, God’s written Word, to help us identify and affirm those whom God has gifted to be pastors. Ordination is both a culmination and a commissioning.

Finishing seminary and being ordained are not the same thing. A seminary degree is an academic qualification through an accredited institution, while ordination is a spiritual affirmation by and for the church. Many men graduate from seminary but never actually become pastors or missionaries. Seminaries necessarily, intensely educate; churches affirm and call pastors. The best seminaries recognize this and are closely linked with local churches.

Our church’s ordination process consists of three qualifications in the areas of character, competency, and knowledge. All of these are assessed over a number of years by the church, not in one-off exams, and culminate with a final ordination exam and recognition by the whole church body.

How does that work?

This process officially happened for me between 2010 and 2018. Ordination Preparation was perhaps the most anticipated and feared class by students while I was at seminary. Like Greek, Hebrew and preaching, there was nowhere to hide in these classes; either you knew the material, could complete assignments, and answer questions in class, or you couldn’t!

One of the stated purposes of the Ordination Prep class was “to prepare the student for pastoral candidacy interviews, and eventually, an ordination process in his church.” Though it is challenging, I’m thankful for The Master’s Seminary’s continued focus on preparing men for ministry in this way.

Among other things, the class consisted of Bible knowledge exams and an oral examination. Our professor gave us a list of 86 questions (not answers!). Some of them were theological (e.g., “Defend the concept of the rapture biblically. When will it take place and why?”). Some of them were philosophical (e.g., “What is truth and how do we know it?”). Other questions were practical (e.g., “What are your requirements for performing a marriage ceremony?”). At the scheduled oral exams, we would be brought in front of the class and asked, on the spot, one of these 86 questions. We were expected to give a well thought out, biblical answer. This class was preparation for the real thing.

After I graduated from seminary in 2018, I came back to Faith Bible Church to be ordained before heading on to pastoral ministry. The elders and others who knew me within the church body were called to weigh in on whether my life pursued biblical character qualifications, particularly the character qualifications for elders Paul provides in 1 Timothy 3:1–7.

A similar process was followed with competency. Just as there are certain things a plumber must be able to do to be considered a plumber, the same is true of pastors. In ordination, time is taken to assess whether the candidate is able to rightly interpret and apply God’s Word, teaching it from the pulpit as well as in private counseling situations.

Finally, knowledge of the Word, theology, and how to apply God’s Word to real life is observed over the years and then tested in the final ordination exam. Churches do the exam differently from each other; Faith does a three-hour oral exam that tests candidates’ Bible knowledge, understanding of theology, and handling of different counseling scenarios. Friends, family, and members of Faith Bible Church are encouraged to attend the exam as encouragers and witnesses of the candidate’s readiness for ministry.

After the exam, the qualification of the candidate is discussed one more time at an elders meeting. If he is affirmed, the aspiring pastor or missionary is then ordained in front of the church on a Sunday morning.

Why it’s important

This process affirms, as best we can, that a man is fit for ministry. It’s a long and detailed process, because Scripture demands it. Pastoral ministry is rigorous: Real people, working through real life, need real biblical answers and guidance. Pastors are to be above reproach.

Our church has a legacy of identifying, training, and sending men. This is one of the tasks of the local church, and it’s a crucial task. Thriving churches, dying churches, and church plants all need qualified, competent, proven pastors. Please pray for our church as we aspire to uphold this legacy until Christ returns.

Ian Rush

Ian is the Youth Pastor of Faith Bible Church. He and his wife, Claire, have seven children and previously spent a few years serving in a small church in England.

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