Backdrop
This is a writeup of my observations of the ordination process that I witnessed in Lebanon, of the Church ordaining a deacon for the local body. I will also compare this with other ordinations I have been part of, in other settings.
Leadership
Todays sabbath reading at our house was Jetro (Yitro) from Exodus 18 - 20, where Moses' father in law visits him in the wilderness and counsels Moses to have authorities over tens, fifties, hundreds and thousands. This hierarchical leadership of upstanding and righteous men, eased the burden on Moses but also kept the entire congregation moving smoothly.
This model of leadership was further emphasized in the early church from Acts 6 and the various positions of bishop/overseer, deacons in the epistles of Paul.
Therefore the precedence has been set in the scriptures on the church leadership we ought to follow. What follows below is my summary and personal observations of the recent ordaining of a new deacon for the church in Lebanon.
Identifying the need
With Lebanon being a planting from Salem church, we had two ministers leading the body. But as the body began to grow and expand over the last half decade, with new families joining the church and the expanding of existing families, there was a need for leadership in financial management around alms distribution, caring for the elderly, grounds management and sharing of the preaching burden. This made it timely to have a deacon.
Proceedings
From what I understood talking to brothers in Lebanon, Salem and in Amish circles, the ordination occurs over a course of 4 days from Thursday evening to Sunday evening. This was the case in Lebanon as well. We had a very good teacher from Illinois who went over the details of the qualifications of the deacon and minister for this body. The readings and teachings from the scripture was thorough and methodical, with all aspects of qualifications made simple and clear for all. Leading upto this, we had fasted and prayed for God's direction and will in the matter. This occurred the week leading upto the prior 1st day service.
The brethren also had discussed this at length in the various meetings, from what I gathered as well. I had some sense of the importance of the ordination, but the solemnity was brought out in the messages that the teacher from Illinois delivered the first 2 nights.
On Saturday evening, the nominations were held, with each of the eligible full member household nominating a brother in closed ballot. The ministers in charge helped with counting and tallying the votes. The way I understood this process worked is as follows. All names that had atleast 3 votes were entered into the lot. If there were more than one name nominated, then Acts2 model of setting up a lot was followed for selecting the brother. In all to let God guide the process of selecting the man He needs for this body, as part of His Church.
As God's will would have it, the church spoke in unison to have one of the brother, who moved from Salem to Lebanon, to be ordained the deacon. The agreement among the brothers and the unity of the body shone through this process and it was humbling and sobering to witness this.
Following this, the Sunday evening service was the ordination, where the new deacon was ordained and charged by the body with several bishops laying hands and praying for the commission that our God had placed.
Support from the broader brotherhood
I counted atleast 9 different church bodies, from 7 different states that either were represented by the laity or had their ministers or both in attendance thru the 4 days of proceedings. Some of the nearby church ministers were there from Thursday evening to help with overall proceedings. Some of them came with their families to support the whole event.
Some of them drove over 8 hours to be here with us. Some drove 1.5 hours multiple times in this 4 day event to be back at their home fellowships for their 1st day services and back with for the Sunday evening ordination.
Our bishop from Ohio was present for the two full days leading to ordination. The sanctity of the ceremony and what God had called was exhibited through out the whole proceeding. The unity even in the diverse congregations present was also good to see.
Other observations
The charge of deaconship was not just given to the brother, but to the whole family that the brother was the head of. The need for the helpmeet and his children to be part of the mission was called and emphasized in the teaching, but became evident during the ordination, when the brother and his family sat together upfront and the bishops from 3 different fellowships laid their hand to pray for the brother, his wife and his children separately.
The sacrifice of the wife to help her husband in being the deacon and fulfilling the charge is critical and the teacher emphasized that multiple times, as not only does she need to let her husband go, but also be there for the women of the congregations, as part of this deacon office her husband is leading.
The songs in each of the meetings was apt for the message that came later and it was very encouraging and a blessing to have 4 days of worship signing praises to God and His Son.
The local fellowship came together to prepare meals for sunday lunch, dinner and even a to-go meal for the drive back home after the long ordination ceremony that ended past 9pm Sunday night. The meals symbolized not just good food and taste, but also warmth and love that the local sisters put in.
Some of the main points I took away from the main teacher for the overall ordination, can be applied to any believer and not just the office of deacon: - 7 principles to be applied: love (sacrificing love), discipline, respect, obedience (from the heart), peace, security and humility. - Be vigilant to speak properly and in edifying manner to be awaken spiritually. Control the tongue. - Have faithfulness and grow in sanctification - Willing to be faithful in least so we can be faithful in much - Have clear testimony in personal, family and vocational aspects - Be of pure conscience - Responsibility and faithfulness to the body God has called you to be a part of
Each evening, the teacher started with Eph5:27 with expounding on a word each of the night, from that verse, before going on to the specific teaching of the qualifications.
Conclusion
The ordinations I have been part of in past, had been adhoc and did not really focus on the full gravity of the role being chosen for. I had also studied how the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox churches do their leadership ordination, which is more corporate and business like than biblical, from what I read. In some other circles, it had been top down by small group of people and not really from the body.
This ordination in Lebanon, was as close to the scriptures and with solemnity that embodied godly discipleship. The gravity of the office and the burden of a deacon also came out so clearly in the messages, that it was evident that God's choice through the church body was spoken.
My continued prayer for the brother in his new office as a deacon and for his entire family to fulfill what God has called him to do for the church in Lebanon and beyond.