August 2024 will mark the ninth anniversary of my ordination to ministry by Oakmont Baptist Church in Greenville, North Carolina. As I reflect on that special moment, I can’t but help wonder what ordination looks for the church moving forward.

Since long before the birth of the Christian Church, ordination has existed to set apart someone for something holy. In the modern day service of my Baptist world, it is a special service in which ministers, deacons, and other leadership are set apart as they recognize the call of God in their lives.

For ministers who are serving as clergy vocationally, ordination recognizes that special calling that God has placed in their lives that goes beyond just that of a volunteer church or other Christian leader. Ordination to the ministry is a recognition, on the part of a person and local congregation, that their lives are being set apart for the work of vocational ministry in a way that others have not be called.

In the early centuries of the Church, ordination created a separation between clergy and non-clergy that was almost harmful. Clergy were the only ones trained to read Scripture, administer the ordinances, and speak for God. In some Christian denominations, this still remains true today.

In my Baptist tradition, we do not recognize such a separation, but it does not mean that a person called to ordination in the gospel ministry is not set apart for a holy task not every one is called to.

In an age when ordination can be obtained for a small fee on the internet, I believe it is important to reclaim some of the holiness that comes with such a call to serve Christ and Christ’s people in such a way. Internet ordinations are often found lacking when the person is not called to walk with the sick, comfort the grieving, counsel the weary, guide the worshipper, or any of the other many tasks that many ordained ministers are called to take on.

Now, I’m not recreating the separation of the early days here as non-vocational ministers do exist as volunteers in churches, para-church settings, and other prominent spaces. That said, I do believe that ordination’s loss of meaning should still be reclaimed by those called to vocational ministry. It is not just a piece of paper on the wall, it is an affirmation of who one is called to be and who you are becoming and it is a recognition of a calling that sets one apart.

I believe that all are called and that all have direct access to their Creator through prayer and life. Priesthood of the believer is a core Baptist tenant that tears down the clergy/congregant curtain so that all can connect with God directly. That said, there are those who are called to be set-apart for ordination to the gospel ministry as vocational ministers. This has been downplayed in many corners of the Church and it is something that should be brought back to the light again–– particularly in my cherished Baptist circles of faith and thought.

So, Rev., know that your ordination still means something, know that your calling is still valid, and know that the uncertain future ahead of the church still needs you as we journey the paths ahead.