Why Do We Need Ordination and Recognition Councils?

A long-standing practice in our circles could easily fall by the wayside. I am referring to the practice of calling an ordination council or its near relative, the recognition council. The intent of these councils is to conduct a peer review of doctrine and practice to confirm the pastoral candidate’s or church’s readiness, integrity, consistency, and compatibility in ministry.

Both of these disciplines require the investment of time and effort on the part of the candidate and the council. The candidate must spend extended time preparing a printed doctrinal statement and thinking through his responses to potential questions. The council must allow a day for the questioning and review process. And the host church must put effort into facilitating the event. Everyone is already busy with the demands of life and ministry. Each participant might ask himself, Do I really have the time to spend three or four hours in a methodical process of reviewing a person’s or church’s theological beliefs and polity?

Maintaining doctrinal integrity in ministry is an imperativeThough the spirit of the event should be cordial and respectful, the reality exists that the interviewee is on the hot seat during the ordination review. Who enjoys sweating through an experience like that? Strange questions do at times arise from individuals who seem to relish stumping their ministry colleagues with a Gordian knot or hypothetical question, but most of us are not inclined to torturing our colleagues. However, while we may not want to be perceived as being contentious, God does call us to contend for the faith.

Maintaining doctrinal integrity in ministry is an imperative. A sense of accountability about preaching and practice is a necessary safeguard. Carelessness or apathy toward a review process can open the door to the infiltration of error to a church or to a fellowship. It can also lower the bar of ministry excellence by tolerating substandard ministry abilities.

The anticipation of standing before a council can be unsettling. I recall the nerve-racking days of preparing for my ordination review. I studied, prayed, practiced answering questions staged by family and friends, and prayed some more. When the ordination review day finally arrived, the butterflies settled down in my stomach, and the moisture returned to my mouth. I found the experience of talking about God and His Word stimulating and stirring. Is there any greater privilege than communicating God’s Word? At a couple of times during the review, I had to admit my lack of knowledge on a subject and my inexperience in handling some church situations. But even that was good: it reminded me that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Though the men on the “inquisition panel” were demanding in their questions, they wanted nothing more than to see a young man get started by articulating his grasp of truth. The interrogators were not my enemies; they were my friends and mentors. Those men were concerned about perpetuating a legacy of doctrinal convictions from one generation to the next.

The requirement of holding an ordination or recognition council may not appear to be the best recruiting technique to win new prospects to the ministry or new churches to the Fellowship. Some people might suggest replacing such a stringent requirement with an easier means of entrance, such as signing a form, paying dues, showing a diploma, or going online to get credentialed. As much as I want to recruit new ministry prospects for the pulpits and churches of our Association, I remain convinced that a thorough screening process is needed to maintain the integrity of the pastoral fraternity and the fellowship of churches.

Paul’s words to one of his dear understudies should encourage us to retain the discipline of peer review in doctrine and practice: “O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust” (1 Timothy 6:20).