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Historical Origins And Development Of Ordination In The West

In the New Testament, leaders were set apart for ministry by the laying on of hands accompanied by prayer. Although elaborate ceremonies emerged that were later eliminated by the Protestant Reformers, laying on of hands with a prayer for consecration remained a constant characteristic of ordination.

Ordination in the New Testament

Comparatively little is said in the New Testament about the rites by which the leaders of the church were commissioned for their ministry. This is not surprising,...

 

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