Seeking Ordination: Why Presbyterian?

The second part of the question that might be asked is why, if you are seeking to do ministry, are you doing it in the Presbyterian denomination. The list of reasons could be very long indeed. Just look through my blog, most subjects under "reformed faith" deal with why I am Reformed. The most foundational reason I have written before:

Confessional - I have written elsewhere that it is my conviction that the church is at heart a confessional institution, and that its confession is most important: of Christ and His work faithful to the word of Christ Himself and the apostles.

This conviction means my options are naturally limited. The two traditions that maintain the primary nature of the church as confessional are the Lutheran and Reformed traditions. I find both to be rich traditions, rightly recognized as true faithful churches to the confession of the Gospel.

My conscience, however, is better quieted in a Reformed congregation, as Reformed confessions of faith (like the Westminster Confession or the Belgic Confession) seem closer to Scriptural mandates than the Lutheran confession of faith as laid out in the Book of Concord. If I found myself in a region with only a Lutheran Church and not a Reformed church, my conscience would not be troubled to be a member and worship with the Lutherans. However, if I were to seek ordination, my standards of doctrine are a bit higher.

Other than being confessional, I believe a church should strive to have:

* Proper view of the Church (confessional, means of salvation)
* Word rightly preached (in Law and Gospel)
* Rightly dividing law and gospel
* Rightly pointing to Christ and his means of salvation
* Preaching Christ as accomplishing Salvation
* Defining Faith as apprehending Christ's merits
* Rightly administering the sacraments
* Administering Church discipline.

* Believing in the Authority of God's Word
* Worshiping in accordance with God's Word.
* Not confusing contemporary fads for Biblical norms
* Not individualistic
* Not confusing the two Kingdoms
* Not accepting the traditions of men for God's word.

* Belief in the sufficiency of God's written word in matters of faith and morals
* Catholic
* Evangelistic

In practice, no church body is perfect. Reformed Theology especially acknowledges this by its insistance on teaching that even after the work of regeneration begins, the saint also remains a sinner until he or she is perfected by Christ in the eschaton. Yet, the ideals and confession (Westminster) of the Presbyterian Church best matches what I believe to be Scriptural demands.

I also appreciate the high standards of ordination that one must go through to be recognized as a minister in the PCA. One must be tested in Bible knowledge, Theology, History, be trained in the original Biblical languages, and know the Westminster Standards (the confessional documents of the English Reformed tradition). This assures me that those ministering beside me would at least be professing orthodox theology.

The denomination I find myself in is the PCA. There are other Reformed denominations I find equally inviting such as the OPC or URCNA, or any of the other Reformed denominations in the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council. However, the PCA is as good a ship as any to fish from.

Why I am Seeking Ordination

As of May 1, I have started an internship that lasts for a year and is intended to prepare a candidate for ordination. Completion of the internship does not guarantee ordination, for ordination requires a church extending a call. So in a year, I will not necessarily be ordained but that is my intention, with a willingness to do something else if there is no need in the church.

My seeking ordination might evoke two questions: Why ordination? Why in your particular church? [or you may not ask, but I'll answer for my own conscience]

My original intention in attending seminary was to teach. My undergrad degree is in education. Yet, my desires were to teach at a higher educational level, either among high schoolers or in college. I had an interest in Theology as well as history, and had been encouraged that I had an ability to teach. So I attended grad school/seminary.

While at seminary, I began to question where I should teach. Thinking that I should do something distinctly Christian with my degree. I considered teaching History and Theology in a setting such as a foreign school. But then I had a paradigm shift. I was introduced to the Church.

After 5 months in seminary, we finally settled in a local church. While there, the church was presented as something different than what I previously conceived it as. Before, church was the voluntary: a voluntary association of individual believers working together but sustained by their individual piety. Instead, I was introduced to a vision of the church as the essential and necessary, not voluntary, the source of the proclamation of the gospel, and therefore the conversion and growth of the Christian. The first duty of the Christian therefore is to the church, not the organizations outside the church, which may help the church, but do not replace the church.

As I shifted from seeing the church as a human institution to a divine instrument of God's purposes on earth, this also forced me to revisit my plans. Instead of my original plan, I was led to present my feeling of giftedness in teaching to the church. There it may be evaluated and confirmed, or dis-abused. The greatest use of teaching is the teaching of the Word, specifically of the demands of the law and their answer in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I do not feel any entitlement to be ordained. I very well may not be ordained or not receive a call from a church body. Yet, I submit myself to the church first. If she requires me, I shall serve her by serving her Groom. If not, I shall worship in her, support her, and seek a vocation that suits my skills.