LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 321

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THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS

teaching in an elementary classroom. The church may call him or her to
serve as a director of education, a director of youth guidance, or some other
post that is just as vital to the public ministry as classroom teaching.’

H. ORDINATION

Ordination has its historical roots in the New Testament and in the
church through the ages.’° It is a solemn ecclesiastical rite by which a duly
qualified member of the body of Christ who has accepted a valid call from the
church is presented to the church as a gift of the Holy Spirit and publicly
declared to be a holder of the office of the public ministry. It is a public
ratification of the call and an invocation of the blessings of God upon the new
minister. While the rite of ordination including the laying on of hands is not
anecessity, it is to be revered as an ancient apostolic custom. In keeping with
this custom, the laying on of hands of other pastors, and the presence of
teachers and members of the church from places other than the site of the
ordainee’s immediate call is meaningful. When a man is ordained in one
congregation, for example, he is recognized as a member of the public
ministry of the whole confessional fellowship. Ordination as an act does not
impart an additional authority that the call does not give, nor is it a
sacrament. As a matter of uniform nomenclature and in accordance with
common understanding, the term “ordination” should be reserved for a
man’s entry into the office of the public ministry. The initial acceptance by the
church of the gift also of those who are to serve in the vital auxiliary offices
should be carried out with solemnity befitting the office. Tradition, common
expectations, and the uniqueness of the pastoral office speak against using
the term “ordination” for other than the office of the public ministry. Other
suggestions regarding nomenciature appear below

It may be added here that participation of clergymen of churches not
within the confessional fellowship in the actual rite of installation is no more

9The Lutheran Annual presents seven categories of
“Teachers of the Missouri Synod,” only one of which is
“Teacher—Elementary School.”

“The word “ordination” may be used in a wide or ina
narrow sense. In the wide sense it refers to the whole process of
placing a qualified man into the office of the public ministry (cf. Ap
XH, 11—12). In the narrow, and more usual, sense “ordination”
means specifically the rite of the laying on of hands. in other
words, the form of ceremony, as distinct from the call as such. Cf
Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3:454.

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III. THESES ON THE OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC
MINISTRY AND AUXILIARY OFFICES

fitting than it is in a jomt Communion service. In its sacred acts the church
confesses its faith. Obviously, the presence of fellow Christians of other
confessions or of civic leaders should be graciously welcomed and
opportunity given for them to speak other than in the worship service itself, if
they desire to do so.

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Ill. THESES ON THE OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC
MINISTRY and AUXILIARY OFFICES

Although many points regarding the theology of the ministry have now
been covered, a number of direct theses may be helpful in presenting the
Position of this document

1. The office of the public ministry in the church is distinct from the
universa! priesthood of believers and has its origin in the divine institution of
the office.

By reason of their baptism, all Christians receive the Holy Spirit and are
constituted priests before God (Cf. 1 Peter 2:5. 9: Rev. 1:6, 5:10; Rom. 12:1)
They are not priests in the sense of making atoning sacrifices. God's people
are His priests by His mandate and appointment as they present their bodies
a living sacrifice for the extension of His kingdom. As priests they exercise
the privilege of prayer not only for themselves but also for others

The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers is precious. It need not,
however, confuse us regarding the doctrine of the public ministry. Not ail
Christians are eligible to hold the office of the public ministry nor should they
be called to do so.

The term “the office of the public ministry” is used to differentiate the
unique divinely established office of Word and sacrament from the service of
all God's peopie in the priesthood of all believers

The characteristics of the office of the public ministry are the following:
(itis an office, conferred by God through a cali of the church, which places
aman under a special obligation for which he 1s accountable to God and to
those who have called him: (2) it requires the performance of specific
functions that carry out the mission of God and His church in the world. That
is, it 18 a Gospel ministry, a ministry of Word and sacrament, although it
includes concerns for the earthly welfare and needs of suffering humanity; (3)
It iS a public ministry, that is, it is carried out on behalf of the church, and
those who hoid it are accountabie to the church.

The public ministry of the church 1s distinct from the universal
priesthood of all believers and is not derived from 1t. It is derived from God's
mandate. Believers exercise their priesthood privately in many ways. One
way to do this is to join fellow Christians in calling a man to occupy the office
of the public ministry in their midst. God created the office of the public
munstry. and He fills that office through the call of a qualified man by the
church. Other offices that assist in essential functions of the office of the
public ministry are created by the church as the need arises. The functions of
such offices, if they are truly auxiliary to the office of the public ministry, are
mandated by God. Those who hold them by virtue of a cail are doing services
that are required by God in the extension of His kingdom. No one may
arrogate to himself any of the public offices of the church (AC XIV)

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