CALL AND ORDINATION

The call to the ministry of the Church

In Article 14 of the Augsburg Confession it is stipulated that nobody should preach publicly in the Church or administer the sacraments unless he is regularly called . Since the confessional texts mainly deal with the ministry of the priest, this formulation refers to this particular commission within the ministry of the Church. However, the Church has always required a regular call also for the commissions of the bishop and the deacon.

The call to the ministry of the Church can appear in different ways but it always emanates from God. Both Luther and the Church Ordinance of 1571 distinguish between a mediated call and an unmediated call. The prophets and the apostles were called without means. God’s call usually comes today through congregations and individual Christians.

An individual cannot claim a right to any of the commissions within the ministry of the Church. The Church Ordinance of 1571 states that no one can demand or force himself into any ministry of the Church . A person is called to a ministry by God by means of the Church. According to the Church Ordinance each and every one shall follow the procedure for a call. Concern for the congregation and respect for God’s call demand this loyalty.

In the Lutheran tradition the call to the ministry of the Church has also been described as a twopart call. The first call is the inner call (vocatio interna), which means that the individual experiences a call to a particular commission in the ministry of the Church and is convinced that this, first and foremost, is the will of God and not his/her own choice. For the individual it is important that this call is put to the test in various ways, in prayer and in relation to the word of God. To follow the inner call means to obey the will of God. It is then important to see that the call is personal, with all that this implies as regards differences in origin and content. For one person the call can grow and lead to an unavoidable personal choice. For another person an experience leads to a decision. For a third person an insight about the need of servants for the gospel becomes the incentive.

The second call is the external call (vocatio externa) through ordination for the Church’s ministry. Ordination is the last stage in the process which follows when someone with an inner call expresses his willingness to accept the commission to serve in the ministry. The candidates for the ministry are selected (electio) and examined with regard to suitability (examinatio) by the bishop and the Diocesan Chapter. Finally they are set apart through ordination (ordinatio) by the bishop. The call to the commission as bishop has certain special characteristics. In this case the determining factor is not the inner call but the external call: an election is carried out by the priests and lay people of the diocese. In this instance the statement in the Church Ordinance of 1571 is significant, that no one shall through his own decision be able to force himself into any ministry .

In the Church of Sweden, for ordination as priest there are certain basic requirements of theoretical and practical training at a university and a pastoral institute. For ordination as deacon the requirement of a certain professional competence in the institutional care sector or in the social or teaching area applies. In addition practical diaconal training at a church diaconal institution for deacons is required. Acceptance for ordination as deacon has hitherto been subject to examinations held at the educational institution, by the council of the institution and the bishop, who is a member of this council. However, on the basis of the principle that the diaconal commission is a part of the ministry of the Church, it would be more consistent if the decision was taken by the diocesan bishop and the Diocesan Chapter in close consultation with the diaconal institution.

The education is designed to equip the bearers of the ministry for service in the Church and is therefore a condition for ordination. In principle, however, the validity of the ordination does not depend on these requirements. The Church may therefore administer ordination to a ministry on other grounds and for special reasons. For ordination to the episcopate, on the other hand, it is necessary that the suitability and theoretical qualifications of the candidate are evaluated in each individual case by the electing body and the appointing authority.

Certainty about the call is essential for confidence in exercing the commission with which one has been entrusted. God’s call stands firm. The perception of the call by the bearer of the ministry and his confidence in the call can change and be doubted. The call through the ordination of the Church, however, is tangible in a different way. If the ordination has taken place it cannot be questioned. The priest, the bishop and the deacon can proceed in their duties in that confidence.

Ordination to the ministry of the Church

Ordination to the different commissions within the threefold ministry of the Church is an act of prayer by the Church. The order is provided in the Church of Sweden Service Book Part II which was adopted by the 1987 Church Synod. It is stated there that the acts of ordination of the Church express that Christ, by the Spirit among God’s people, for the sake of the Gospel, calls persons to lifelong service. This call is confirmed by the ordination of the Church. It is furthermore stated that the ordinations to bishop, priest and deacon are equivalent expressions for the fulness of the gospel and for the commission of the Church emanating from this gospel, which is to take form in word as well as deed.

There is a natural inner connection between the three acts of ordination, shown by the repetition of the same components, in each case adapted to suit the respective commission. At all the ordinations vows are made by which those ordained declare that they are willing, with God’s help, to carry out their commission within the ministry of the Church. By confessing the Creed they testify their participation in and affirmation of the apostolic faith. By the laying on of hands and prayer they are set apart for their commissions, since the Holy Spirit, without which this ministry cannot be well executed, is customarily given by such means , as it is stated in the Church Ordinance of 1571. Through the ordination they are incorporated in the ministerial fellowship and receive authorization to exercise their ministry with its privileges and obligations in accordance with the order of the Church of Sweden.

For all three ordinations alternative orders are available so that the ordination can be carried out as a separate ordination mass or in conjunction with a eucharistic service or another service of worship.

At the ordination of bishops, the bishop’s commisson is described as follows: A bishop shall have oversight over the diocese and the congregations and be responsible for the word of God being purely and clearly proclaimed, for the sacraments being rightly administered and charity practiced according to the will of God. In this way emphasis is given to the bishop’s supervisory responsibility for the main tasks given to the priests and deacons of the diocese. The description continues: A bishop shall ordain and inspect, visit, consult, listen and decide and, in all he does, strengthen the people of God in the call to interpret the signs of the times and bear witness to God’s mighty acts for the whole creation. In his ministry, a bishop shall live as a servant of Christ and be a shepherd for the flock of God. With vigilance and wisdom the bishop shall serve the unity in Christ for the edification and renewal of the Church in the Spirit, so that the love of God becomes visible in the world.

In the ordination vows the bishop promises with God’s help and by trusting in God’s grace to exercise the ministry so that God be glorified, the Church built up and God’s will realized in the world , and to stand firm in the faith of the Church, defend it and see to it that the word of God be proclaimed in purity and clarity, as it is given in Holy Scripture and as the Confession of our Church testifies to it, and that the sacraments be rightly administered. The bishop further promises in his/her ministry to follow, uphold and defend the order of our Church, promote unity in Christ, and among people bear witness to the love of God and the mystery of reconciliation.

After the laying on of hands, the congregation prays: Give this your bishop perseverance in serving the gospel, faithfulness and wisdom in caring for your people. Give him the boldness and strength, the patience he needs and keep him always close to you. May he live ever more deeply in faith, hope and love.

At the ordination of priests the commission of the priest is described as follows: A priest is to preach the word of God and to administer the sacraments, to lead the prayers of the congregation and worship in the services, to teach and exercise care of souls and so to be a shepherd for the flock of God. A priest in his office is to live as a servant of Christ, open to the needs of people, and inwardly facing God and the whole of creation. Faithfully and wisely the priest is to give the people of God what they need to be cleansed and to become mature in faith, so that the love of God may be manifested in the world. In the vows the priest, just as the bishop, promises with the help of God and trusting in the grace of God to exercise the ministry so that God is glorified, the Church built up and the will of God brought to fulfilment in the world . The priest further promises to stand firm in the faith of the Church, preach the word of God in purity and clarity as it is given to us in Holy Scripture and as the teachings of our Church bear witness and rightly administer the sacraments. Similarly, the priest promises to follow the order of our Church and to fulfil his/her call with Christ as example, and to be among people a witness to the love of God and to the mystery of reconciliation.

After the laying on of hands the congregation prays: Give your priests endurance in the service of reconciliation. Make them sensitive to your voice, devoted in your service. Make them bold with the strength and patience they will need and keep them ever near to you. Give them encouragement and joy in their work. Let them enter ever more deeply into faith and hope and love.

The ordination of deacons follows the same pattern as the other ordinations. The commission of the deacon is described as follows: A deacon/deaconess is to visit, help and support those who are in bodily or spiritual need, to give nurture and teaching in the faith, in the congregation and in society to be a sign of merciful kindness and in everything serve Christ in the neighbour. A deacon/deaconess is to live as a servant of Christ and help people to configure the love of God. The deacon is to defend the rights of people, to stand on the side of the oppressed and to encourage and set the people of God free for all that is good, so that the love of God can be seen in the world. In the ordination the deacon takes the same vows as the priest with the difference that, instead of the priestly vow regarding preaching and the administration of sacraments, the deacon promises to help those in need and stand on the side of the oppressed. The prayer after the laying on of hands corresponds with the prayer at the ordination of priests except that for the deacons the congregation prays for endurance in the service of love .

Suspension from the exercise of the ministry

The lifelong commission within the ministry of the Church can never be lost. Even if a priest, bishop or deacon should desert his call and if the Church should wish to have it undone, God stands by it (2 Tim 2:13). The servants of the Church must mutually admonish and encourage one another to take good care of the entrusted gift of grace and to fulfil their given commission with perseverence, wisdom and pride. One of the bishop’s pastoral tasks is to promote this (2 Tim 1:68, 4:15).

The important distinction between ministry and appointment (in the sense of position ) means that the possession of the ministry is a precondition for the employment. The employment, however, is not a precondition for holding the ministry. A bishop, priest or deacon who has retired after service retains his ministry and is free to exercise it even if this is not done within the context of an appointment in the Church. If the holder of a ministry is suspended or relegated or resigns from the ministry, this means that he or she no longer has the authority to exercise the ministry. In this way the sending of the Church is withdrawn, but the ministry, which is a precondition for the sending, is not lost.

The Church of Sweden shares a tradition which does not only have a functional view of the ministry of the Church. The Church can withdraw the authority to exercise the ministry, but being part of the ministry as a lifelong commission has been given through ordination and cannot therefore be lost. Consequently, a priest is not ordained again when return to the exercise of ministry is permitted following examination and renewal of the priestly vows before the bishop in the Diocesan Chapter. A corresponding regulation should be applicable to bishops and deacons.