Ordination is the process by which persons are consecrated, set aside (sanctified), and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, which are then permitted (typically by a denominational hierarchy of another clergy) to execute different religious duties.
“The act of imparting pastoral authority or sacerdotal power,” according to the contemporary definition of ordination. In the Bible, ordain refers to a placing in place or a designation; for example, Joseph was “ordained” as a king in Egypt (Acts 7:10).
Paul routinely ordained pastors for the churches he established. He and Barnabas were in charge of appointing or ordaining elders “in each church” in Galatia.
For instance, A bishop is ordained by numerous bishops, whereas a single bishop ordains a priest or deacon. A consecration is also used to describe the ordination of a new bishop. The Pope is the ‘pastor of the whole Church on earth,’ according to Catholic Canon Law. Pope Francis took up the challenge that this remark provides to those practicing the Petrine ministry by asking for prayers that he would be a pastor according to the heart of Christ.
Bible Verse for Ordination of Pastors
Daniel 2:24 KJV
Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
John 5:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Acts 1:22 kjv
Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
Acts 13:48 kjv
And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
Numbers 27:18 amp
The Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;
Deuteronomy 34:9 amp
Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the Lord commanded Moses.
Numbers 27:18 amp
and Moses laid his hands on Joshua and commissioned him, just as the Lord had commanded through Moses.
Exodus 28:41 amp
You shall put the various articles of clothing on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain and sanctify them, so that they may serve Me as priests.
Numbers 3:3 amp
These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom Aaron consecrated and ordained to minister in the priest’s office.
Exodus 30:30 amp
You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve as priests to Me.
Leviticus 8:30 amp
So Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and their garments with him; so Moses consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.
Exodus 29:21 amp
Then you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Now Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments shall be consecrated dedicated, made holy, declared sacred for God’s purpose.
Mark 3:14-15 amp
And He appointed twelve [disciples], so that they would be with Him [for instruction] and so that He could send them out to preach [the gospel as apostles—that is, as His special messengers, personally chosen representatives], and to have authority and power to cast out demons.
Luke 6:13 amp
When day came, He called His disciples and selected twelve of them, whom He also named apostles (special messengers, personally chosen representatives)
Numbers 8:10-11 amp
and present the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites shall lay their hands on the Levites. Aaron shall [a]present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may perform the service of the Lord.
Numbers 27:22-23 amp
Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and Moses laid his hands on Joshua and commissioned him, just as the Lord had commanded through Moses.
Acts 14:23 amp
When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they believed [and joyfully accepted as the Messiah].
1 Timothy 1:18 amp
This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, so that [inspired and aided] by them you may fight the good fight [in contending with false teachers],
1 Timothy 4:14 amp
Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, [that special endowment] which was intentionally bestowed on you [by the Holy Spirit] through prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands on you [at your ordination].
Titus 1:5 amp
For this reason I left you behind in Crete, so that you would set right what remains unfinished, and appoint [a]elders in every city as I directed you,
1 Timothy 1:18 amp
This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, so that [inspired and aided] by them you may fight the good fight [in contending with false teachers],
2 Timothy 1:6 amp
That is why I remind you to fan into flame the gracious gift of God, [that inner fire—the special endowment] which is in you through the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination].
2 Chronicles 11:15 kjv
And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.
2 Chronicles 23:18 kjv
Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the Lord by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David.
2 Chronicles 29:27 kjv
And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel.
Psalms 8:3 KJV
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
Psalms 81:5 kjv
This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.
Psalms 132:17 kjv
There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
Isaiah 30:33 kjv
For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.
Jeremiah 1:5 kjv
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Pastors are to care for the flock like shepherds, which involves teaching. The terms “bishops” and “presbyters” are commonly used in the New Testament to refer to the appointed leadership in early Christianity. Similarly, Peter tells these employees to “act as shepherds” while they “oversee” God’s flock. The terms “bishop” and “presbyter” were occasionally used interchangeably. Nonetheless, there is continuous disagreement among Christian denominations over whether there are two ordained classes (presbyters and deacons) or three (bishops, priests, and deacons).
The word’s modern meaning is derived from the Biblical concept of shepherding. It appears 173 times in 144 Old Bible texts and refers to physical sheep feeding, like in Genesis 29:7. In Jeremiah 23:4, both meanings are employed (ro’im for “shepherds” and yir’um for “shall feed them”): “And I will set up shepherds over them that shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be afraid, nor be in want, declares the LORD.
The parish priest is the competent clergyman in charge of the congregation given to him by the parish. Nowadays, certain groups, such as the Churches of Christ, regard pastor, bishop, and elder as interchangeable names or offices; many of those who do so are descended from the Restoration Movement in America during the nineteenth century.
