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95-409: Youth ministry often consists of students in sixth grade though twelfth grade and adult leaders. Every youth ministry is structured differently and the culture will vary among youth ministries depending on how the ministry cultivates culture. Some youth ministries are also student led where students take on the responsibility of planning services. In Protestant churches, the term "ministry" often implies

190-543: A consecration . Many ancient sources specify that at least three bishops are necessary to consecrate another, e.g., the 13th Canon of the Council of Carthage (AD 394) states, "A bishop should not be ordained except by many bishops, but if there should be necessity he may be ordained by three," and the first of "The Canons of the Holy and Altogether August Apostles" states, "Let a bishop be ordained by two or three bishops," while

285-652: A "preoccupation with activities inside the church", as well as a lack of literature and programs on the subject. For these reasons, attempts to link faith and daily life "fizzled out". For Miller, "hindsight suggests that the institutional church and its leaders never fully embraced or understood lay ministry". Therefore, they stopped promoting the "ministry of the laity" concept to their members. Miller deems "Faith at Work" to be "a bona fide social movement and here to stay". Unlike earlier movements, business people (from evangelical and mainline Protestant denominations, Roman Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, and unaffiliated) initiated

380-456: A ceremony called "pastoral consecration". Jehovah's Witnesses consider an adherent's baptism to constitute ordination as a minister . Governments have generally recognized that Jehovah's Witnesses' full-time appointees (such as their " regular pioneers ") qualify as ministers regardless of sex or appointment as an elder or deacon ("ministerial servant") . The religion asserts ecclesiastical privilege only for its appointed elders, but

475-452: A group (called a circuit ) of preaching houses or churches. The lay preacher walked or rode on horseback in a prescribed circuit of the preaching places according to an agreed pattern and timing, and people came to the meetings. After the appointment of ministers and pastors, this lay preaching tradition continued with local preachers being appointed by individual churches, and in turn approved and invited by nearby churches, as an adjunct to

570-480: A lifespan sexuality education program with a youth age group. Youth ministers may be trained specifically to work with youth. Most congregations or places of worship have a strict vetting process for their youth ministers, including but not limited to background checks, educational requirements and previous relevant experience. Many Bible and Christian universities and colleges now offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in youth ministry. While youth ministry

665-625: A number of important positions, including vergers , acolytes , lectors , intercessors , ushers . Acolytes include torch bearers, crucifers , thurifers , and boat bearers . Lectors read the lessons from the Bible appointed for the day (except for the Gospel reading, which is read by a Deacon), and may also lead the Prayers of the People. Some specialized lay ministries require special licensing by

760-531: A significant topic of discussion in recent years. Texts passed down in every Buddhist tradition record that Gautama Buddha created an order of fully ordained nuns, but the tradition has died out in some Buddhist traditions such as Theravada Buddhism, while remaining strong in others such as Chinese Buddhism ( Dharmaguptaka lineage). In the Tibetan lineage , which follows the Mulasarvastivadin lineage,

855-458: A student's completion of a 4-year B.A. of Islamic studies or a 7–8 alim course, these ceremonies do not in any way symbolize ordination. The ordination of a rabbi within Judaism is referred to as semikhah ( Hebrew : סמיכה , "leaning [of the hands]", or semicha lerabanim Hebrew : סמיכה לרבנות , "rabbinical ordination"). The term is derived from a Hebrew word which means to "rely on", in

950-508: A war that contradicted its optimism about Christianizing society. The Social Gospel was promulgated by the preaching, writing, and other efforts of clergy on behalf of the laity rather than by the laity themselves. In the early 1930s, the Social Gospel was described as "a preacher's gospel. It has not been the church's gospel. The laity have little share in it." Many were not aware what their clergy believed. Most scholars hold that

1045-516: A wise and brave woman named Deborah was the fourth judge of the ancient Israelites . She was instrumental in implementing a strategic military strategy that delivered the Israelites from the oppressive Canaanite king Jabin . Likewise, Jael was courageous and primary in the Israelite victory. Her prudent actions killed the commander Sisera after he fled on foot following the battle. Within

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1140-529: A worldwide range of activities carried out with young people, usually in the name of the Catholic Church and with the intention of imparting the Catholic faith to them and inviting them to practice and live out the faith in their lives. Activities in the field range from small scale youth groups attached to parishes or Catholic schools , to large international gatherings, such as World Youth Day . It

1235-411: Is a field which has evolved much over recent decades, especially in comparison to more formal methods of education or catechesis within the church. Nearly all dioceses and a great deal of parishes have some form of youth provision running, although a great deal of areas particularly in the developed world are finding youth work both more difficult and rare as the numbers of young people regularly practicing

1330-634: Is an Arabic word meaning "old man" and is used as an honorable title for a learned man; shaikhah refers to a woman learned in Islamic issues. This title is usually more prevalent in the Arabic countries. The word maulana is a title bestowed upon students who have graduated from a madrasa (Islamic theological school) throughout the Indian subcontinent region. Although different Muslim schools, universities or madrasas might follow different graduation ceremonies upon

1425-780: Is considered an essential and necessary concept for ordination in the Catholic, Orthodox, High Church Lutheran, Moravian, and Anglican traditions, with the belief that all ordained clergy are ordained by bishops who were ordained by other bishops tracing back to bishops ordained by the Apostles who were ordained by Christ , the great High Priest ( Hebrews 7:26 , Hebrews 8:2 ), who conferred his priesthood upon his Apostles ( John 20:21–23 , Matthew 28:19–20 , Mark 16:15–18 , and Acts 2:33 ). There are three ordinations in Holy Orders: deacon , presbyter , and bishop . Both bishops and presbyters are priests and have authority to celebrate

1520-618: Is considered one of the functions within the Church because most believe that people should start learning about God at a young age so they have more time to grow spiritually through adulthood. Therefore, it is more likely for a Catholic youth minister or youth ministry leader to be a lay person, rather than an ordained priest. There are organizations within the Unitarian Universalist Association (the primary organization of Unitarian Universalist congregations in

1615-470: Is depends on the abilities of the person: "landscaping, carpentry, writing, counseling, child care, sports, music, teaching, or just being a good listener". The relation within the laity as the "people of God" between those who are ordained priests and those not ordained is one of cooperation in three areas: (1) in the Liturgy , (2) Church administration, and (3) service (ministry) to others. In spite of

1710-560: Is done by or under the direction of the stake or mission president. To perform a priesthood ordination, one or more authorized priesthood holders place their hands lightly on the person's head." Latter-day Saints believe in a line of priesthood authority that traces back to Jesus Christ and his apostles . LDS adherents believe the church's founder, Joseph Smith , was ordained under the hands of apostles Peter , James , and John , who appeared to Smith as angelic messengers in 1829. Muslims do not formally ordain religious leaders. Ordination

1805-430: Is in preparation for, or who is undergoing the process of ordination is sometimes called an ordinand . The liturgy used at an ordination is commonly found in a book known as an Ordinal which provides the ordo (ritual and rubrics) for celebrations. In Catholicism and Orthodoxy, ordination is one of the seven sacraments , variously called holy orders or cheirotonia (" Laying on of Hands "). Apostolic succession

1900-562: Is laid down in the Vinaya and Patimokkha or Pratimoksha scriptures. There exist three intact ordination lineages nowadays in which one can receive an ordination according to the Buddha's teachings: Saicho repeatedly requested that the Japanese government allow the construction of a Mahayana ordination platform. Permission was granted in 822 CE, seven days after Saicho died. The platform

1995-565: Is ordained by those with proper authority and ordained properly and validly; thorough records of priesthood ordination are kept by the church. Ordination is performed by the laying on of hands . Ordination to the office of priest in the Aaronic priesthood gives the ordained person the authority to: Ordination to the Melchizedek priesthood includes the authority to perform all the duties of the Aaronic priesthood, as well as ordain others to

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2090-585: Is used to refer to plain language that is understandable to the everyday person, as opposed to specialised terminology understood only by a professional. Terms such as lay priest , lay clergy and lay nun were once used in certain Buddhist cultures, especially Japanese, to indicate ordained persons who continued to live in the wider community instead of retiring to a monastery . Some Christian churches utilise lay preachers , who preach but are not clergy. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses

2185-405: Is viewed as a distinct aspect of other religions and is rejected. Islam does not have a formal and separated clergy. Religious leaders are usually called imams , sheikhs or maulana . The title imam (when used outside the historic Shi'ite context ) refers to someone who leads in prayer and can also be used in a linguistic sense for anyone who leads other Muslims in congregational prayers. Sheikh

2280-512: The Anglican tradition, all baptized persons are expected to minister in Christ's name. The orders of ministry are thus laypersons, licensed lay ministers (or readers), deacons, priests, and bishops. The ministry of the laity is "to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in

2375-634: The Auburn Theological Seminary wrote a retrospective of the Ministry of the Laity era based on research and survey. His research participants were women and men in equal numbers, aged 20 to 60, from six denominations. Reber found that "all were really interested to link faith with their daily life and work". However, in his survey, Reber found that little had been done in the six denominations to enable laity to make this link. He observed

2470-464: The Catholic and the Anglican churches, anyone who is not ordained as a deacon , priest , or bishop is referred to as a layman or a laywoman. Non-ordained preachers or readers are considered part of the laity. The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) devoted its decree on the apostolate of the laity Apostolicam actuositatem and chapter IV of its dogmatic constitution Lumen gentium to

2565-614: The Five Precepts (or the Eight Precepts during Uposatha Days ) as discipline for ethical conduct. Laymen and laywomen are two of the "Four-fold Assembly". The Buddha referred to his disciples as the "Four-fold Assembly" – the gatherings of 'bhikkhū' (monks), 'bhikkhunī' (nuns), 'upasakā' (laymen), and 'upasikā' (laywomen). In the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta , the Buddha famously said that "He would not pass away until

2660-852: The General Convention includes four lay persons from each diocese in the House of Deputies, and each diocesan convention includes lay delegates from the parishes. On the local parish level, lay persons are elected to a church council called a vestry which manages church finances and elects the parish rector . Parish musicians, bookkeepers, administrative assistants, sextons , sacristans , etc., are all roles normally filled by lay persons. At higher levels, diocesan and national offices rely on lay persons in many important areas of responsibility. Often specialized ministries as campus ministers, youth ministers, or hospital chaplains are performed by lay persons. Lay persons serve in worship services in

2755-525: The Methodist Church of Great Britain , a "worship leader" is a trained lay person appointed by a Church Council to "take a leading and significant role in the conduct of worship within the life of a Local Church". Presbyterians do not use the term "lay". Thus the Church of Scotland has "Readers", men and women set apart by presbyteries to conduct public worship. This arises out of the belief in

2850-550: The Presanctified Liturgy ), but only one person may be ordained to each order at any given service, that is, at most one bishop, one presbyter, and one deacon may be ordained at the same liturgy. In most Protestant churches, ordination is the rite by which their various churches: For the sake of authorization and church order, and not for reason of 'powers' or 'ability', individuals in most mainline Protestant churches must be ordained in order to preside at

2945-636: The Unitarian Universalist Association , candidates for "ministerial fellowship" with the denomination (usually third-year divinity school students) are reviewed, interviewed, and approved (or rejected) by the UUA Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC). However, given the fundamental principle of congregational polity , individual UU congregations make their own determination on ordination of ministers, and congregations may sometimes even hire or ordain persons who have not received UUA ministerial fellowship, and may or may not serve

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3040-646: The United States ), as well as within the Canadian Unitarian Council (the national body for Unitarian Universalist congregations in Canada ), which minister to and with youth, of which Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) is the largest and most apparent. YRUU strongly emphasizes youth empowerment , along with youth-adult partnership . There are also specific youth-oriented programs, such as Coming of Age , and Our Whole Lives ,

3135-437: The laity ( / ˈ l eɪ ə t i / ) consists of all members who are not part of the clergy , usually including any non- ordained members of religious orders , e.g. a nun or a lay brother . In both religious and wider secular usage, a layperson (also layman or laywoman ) is a person who is not qualified in a given profession or does not have specific knowledge of a certain subject. The phrase " layman's terms "

3230-602: The priesthood of all believers . Ministers are officially 'teaching elders' alongside the 'ruling elders' of the Kirk Session and have equivalent status, regardless of any other office. In the Church of Scotland, as the Established church in Scotland, this gives ruling elders in congregations the same status as Queen's chaplains, professors of theology and other highly qualified ministers. All are humble servants of

3325-657: The "Four-fold Assembly" is well-established in the learning and practice of Dhamma, and proficient in propagating His Sublime Teachings." The movement to help laity apply their faith to daily life has been divided into three eras by David W. Miller in God at Work . The Social Gospel sought to reform society by the application of biblical principles. Its major proponents were all clergy: Washington Gladden , Charles Monroe Sheldon , and Walter Rauschenbusch . They were better in diagnosing society's ills than finding remedies. The Social Gospel reached its peak just prior to World War I,

3420-504: The "everyday secular world". The Orthodox Church's assertion that all Christians are "appointed" as ministers is based on Scripture (1 Peter 2:9 ) and the Church Fathers . The ministry of the laity complements the ministry of the priest in their daily lives in their families, their communities, their work: "in whatever circumstances they find themselves". The most important "lay ministry" can be done anonymously. What one's ministry

3515-711: The Anglican and Episcopal churches is lay reader . In the Uniting Church in Australia , that was constituted in part from the Methodist Church, persons can be appointed by the congregation as a lay preacher or by the regional presbytery to preside at Communion . The Methodist Book of Discipline describes the "Ministry of the Laity" in their daily lives as being "Christ-like examples of everyday living" and "sharing their own faith experiences". In

3610-463: The Book of Judges, there is a repetitive cycle of sin and deliverance. There is also a proposition regarding the cyclical offenses: "In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes" (Jdg. 21:25). Based partially upon the leadership of the prophetess, Deborah, some Protestant and non-denominational organizations grant ordination to women. Other denominations refute

3705-687: The Catholic Church. Some have even begun protest churches. Policy regarding the ordination of women differs among the different denominations of Judaism . Most Orthodox congregations do not allow female rabbis, while more liberal congregations began allowing female rabbis by the middle of the twentieth century. Most Abrahamic religions condemn the practice of homosexuality and the Bible has been interpreted that in Romans 1 that homosexuals are "worthy of death". Interpretation of this passage, as with others potentially condemning homosexuality varies greatly between and within different denominations. Beginning in

3800-561: The Catholic and Anglican churches recognize Orthodox ordinations. In the Catholic and Anglican churches, ordinations have traditionally been held on Ember Days , though there is no limit to the number of clergy who may be ordained at the same service. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, ordinations may be performed any day of the year on which the Divine Liturgy may be celebrated (and deacons may also be ordained at

3895-491: The Catholic faith continue to decline. In contrast, though, the new and exciting developments of recent decades and particularly the influence of the new movements within the church are ensuring that youth work continues to be an active and fruitful field. Unlike the case in some Protestant churches, a youth minister in the Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the clergy. Ministry, including youth ministry,

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3990-458: The Church," discounting their "workaday" ministry. From the start of his papacy Francis called for structural change in the Church which will foster the responsibility of the laity now held "at the edge of the decisions" by  "excessive clericalism", and to "create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church". The "missionary transformation of the Church" is seen by some as "the goal of this pontificate", with all

4085-462: The Eucharist. In common use , however, the term priest , when unqualified, refers to the order of presbyter, whereas presbyter is mainly used in rites of ordination and other places where a technical and precise term is required. Ordination of a bishop is performed by several bishops; ordination of a priest or deacon is performed by a single bishop. The ordination of a new bishop is also called

4180-569: The Melchizedek or Aaronic priesthood, perform confirmations , bless and anoint the sick with oil, bless and dedicate graves, and other such rites. There are five offices within the Melchizedek Priesthood to which one could potentially be ordained: "Ordination to an office in the Aaronic Priesthood is done by or under the direction of the bishop or branch president. Ordination to an office in the Melchizedek Priesthood

4275-713: The NKT-IKBU ordination consists of the Five Precepts of a lay person, plus five more precepts created by Kelsang Gyatso . He is said to view them as a "practical condensation" of the 253 Vinaya vows of fully ordained monks. There are also no formal instructions and guidelines for the behaviour of monks and nuns within the NKT. Because the behaviour of monks and nuns is not clearly defined "each Resident Teacher developed his or her own way of 'disciplining' monks and nuns at their centres ...". Kelsang Gyatso's ordination has been publicly criticised by Geshe Tashi Tsering as going against

4370-522: The Protestant Reformation and the loosening of authority structures within many denominations, most Protestant groups re-envisioned the role of the ordained priesthood. Many did away with it altogether. Others altered it in fundamental ways, often favoring a rabbinical-type married minister of teaching (word) and discarding any notion of a sacrificial priesthood. A common epithet used by Protestants (especially Anglicans) against Catholics

4465-563: The Social Gospel movement peaked between 1900 and World War I. There is less agreement about when and why the decline happened. The Ministry of the Laity in daily life premise was stated by Howard Grimes in his The Rebirth of the Laity . "Although it is not alone through our daily work that we exercise our call, there is a special sense in which we do so in that area, since so much of our lives are spent in our occupations as lawyer, doctor, manual laborer, skilled craftsmen, housewife, domestic servant, student, serviceman." In 1988, Dean Reber of

4560-554: The Sōtō school developed the practice of ordaining laypeople after death, thus allowing monastic funeral rites to be used for them as well. The Buddhist ordination tradition of the New Kadampa Tradition -International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT-IKBU) is not the traditional Buddhist ordination, but rather one newly created by Kelsang Gyatso . Although those ordained within this organisation are called 'monks' and 'nuns' within

4655-686: The Tibetan tradition, and donated €50,000 for further research. The "1st International Congress on Buddhist Women's Role in the Sangha: Bhikshuni Vinaya and Ordination Lineages" was held at the University of Hamburg from 18–20 July 2007, in cooperation with the University's Asia-Africa Institute. Although the general tenor was that full ordination was overdue, the Dalai Lama presented a pre-drafted statement saying that more time

4750-599: The United Methodist Church (more commonly in the United States) attend a series of training sessions. These training sessions prepare the individual to become a leader within the church. All individuals who are full members of the church are laity, but some go on to become Lay Speakers. Some preachers get their start as Lay Speakers. Local preachers lead the majority of church services in the Methodist Church of Great Britain . The comparable term in

4845-733: The United States of America ordains women as deacons, priests and bishops. The Lutheran Evangelical Protestant Church ordains women at all levels including deacon, priest and bishop. Other denominations leave the decision to ordain women to the regional governing body, or even to the congregation itself; these include the Christian Reformed Church in North America and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church . The ordination of women in

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4940-476: The World. Initiatives: In Support of Christians in the World (January 2015) rejoiced that "50 Years since Vatican II" the increased lay ministry in parishes has "brought fresh vitality". However, the newsletter lamented "the neglect of formation for the lay apostolate in the world". Pope Francis is quoted as confirming this lament. Priests tend to "clericalize the laity" and view their ministry as only "within

5035-458: The age of 12 who are judged by church leaders to be in good standing are ordained to an office of the priesthood and hold various positions in the church. Most church positions at the local level are unpaid, but the LDS church helps with the living expenses of top church leaders and some others (e.g. mission presidents ). Many top church leaders serve in these positions after long secular careers. With

5130-566: The baptized becoming "missionary disciples", The Orthodox Church in America 's web site has eleven articles regarding its Theology of Lay Ministries. The term "lay ministries" refers to all the "people of God" (from the Greek laos tou Theou ) including the ordained. Thus, every Christian has a vocation to ministry. A minority are called to ecclesiastical ministries. The majority are called to serve God and their fellow human beings in some way in

5225-537: The bishop: the ministries which require a license vary from province to province. In the Episcopal Church, there are six specialized lay ministries requiring a license: Pastoral Leader, Worship Leader, Preacher, Eucharistic Minister, Eucharistic Visitor, and Catechist. An early tradition of preaching in the Methodist churches was for a lay preacher to be appointed to lead services of worship and preach in

5320-403: The church's teaching about the ministry of the laity in the world, the church gives more recognition to ministry within the institutional church. The "daily ministry" of the laity in their work, in their homes, and in their recreation remains hidden. Priests may intend to support their parishioners' daily ministry, but their priority tends to be recruiting volunteers for the church's programs. In

5415-492: The church. The Declaration was signed by forty-seven clergy, religious, and laity that included men and women in many occupations, and it served as the charter for the National Center for the Laity (NCL). The NCL helps lay Catholics respond to their call to change the world through their daily activities and regular responsibilities, and it publishes a monthly online newsletter Initiatives: In Support of Christians in

5510-528: The claim of a precedent based on Deborah's example because she is not specifically described as ruling over Israel, rather giving judgments on contentious issues in private, not teaching publicly, neither did she lead the military. Her message to her fellow judge Barak in fact affirmed the male leadership of Israel. The United Church of Canada has ordained women since 1932. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ordains women as pastors, and women are eligible for election as bishops. The Episcopal Church in

5605-464: The congregation as its principal minister/pastor. The ordination of women is often a controversial issue in religions where either the office of ordination, or the role that an ordained person fulfills, is traditionally restricted to men, for various theological reasons. The Christian priesthood has traditionally been reserved to men. Some claim that women were ordained deacons in the first millennium of Christianity, but their claims are disputed. After

5700-600: The core teachings of Buddhism and against the teachings of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa school from which Kelsang Gyatso was expelled As Unitarian Universalism features very few doctrinal thresholds for prospective congregation members, ordinations of UU ministers are considerably less focused upon doctrinal adherence than upon factors such as possessing a Masters of Divinity degree from an accredited higher institution of education and an ability to articulate an understanding of ethics, spirituality and humanity. In

5795-784: The exception of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , the First Quorum of the Seventy who are at the top of the church hierarchy, and patriarchs , all leadership positions are temporary. In Buddhism , a lay Buddhist is known as an upasakā (masc.) or upasikā (fem.). Buddhist laypeople take refuge in the Triple Gem the Buddha , Dhamma (His Teachings ), and Sangha (His community of Noble Disciples ) and accept

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5890-410: The faith at work movement and support it because they want to connect their work and their faith. Management training often includes a faith dimension. Examples of various kinds of faith at work initiatives follow: Some faith at work initiatives focus not on work itself but on the workplace as a "mission field". In this "business as missions" concept, faith at work means "reaching people for Christ in

5985-473: The growing call for the ordination of women, Pope John Paul II issued the statement Ordinatio sacerdotalis in 1995. In it, he gave reasons why women cannot be ordained, and defined that the Holy Spirit had not conferred the power to ordain women upon the Church. In the wake of this definitive statement, many theologians considered the issue settled, but many continue to push for the ordination of women in

6080-604: The laity in a sense narrower than that which is normal in the Catholic Church . The normal definition of laity is that given in the Code of Canon Law : By divine institution, there are among the Christian faithful in the Church sacred ministers who in law are also called clerics; the other members of the Christian faithful are called lay persons. There are members of the Christian faithful from both these groups who, through

6175-429: The laity is as follows: The term laity is here understood to mean all the faithful except those in holy orders and those in the state of religious life specially approved by the Church. These faithful are by baptism made one body with Christ and are constituted among the People of God; they are in their own way made sharers in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly functions of Christ; and they carry out for their own part

6270-515: The laity should say "we are the Church," in the same way that the saints said that "Christ lives in me." Lay involvement takes diverse forms, including participation in the life of the parish, confraternities , lay apostolates , secular institutes , and lay ecclesial movements . There are also lay ecclesiastical ministries , and where there is a priest shortage , lay people have to take on some functions previously performed by priests. In December 1977, "A Chicago Declaration of Christian Concern"

6365-719: The late 20th century, and more so in the early 21st century, several mainline denominational sects of Christianity and Judaism in the US and Europe endorsed the ordination of openly LGBT persons. See LGBT clergy in Christianity . The United Church of Christ ordained openly gay Bill Johnson in 1972, and lesbian Anne Holmes in 1977. While Buddhist ordinations of openly LGBT monks have occurred, more notable ordinations of openly LGBT novitiates have taken place in Western Buddhism. Laity In religious organizations ,

6460-496: The latter half of the 20th century was an important issue between Anglicans and Catholics since the Catholic Church viewed the ordination of women as a huge obstacle to possible rapprochement between the two churches. The Catholic Church has not changed its view or practice on the ordination or women, and neither have any of the Orthodox churches; these churches represent approximately 65% of all Christians worldwide. In response to

6555-413: The lineage of fully ordained nuns was not brought to Tibet by the Indian Vinaya masters, hence there is no rite for the ordination of full nuns. However th 14th Dalai Lama has endeavored for many years to improve this situation. In 2005, he asked fully ordained nuns in the Dharmaguptaka lineage, especially Jampa Tsedroen , to form a committee to work for the acceptance of the bhiksuni lineage within

6650-617: The mandate (approval) of the Pope , as the guarantor of the Church's unity. Moreover, at least three bishops are to perform the consecration, although the Apostolic See may dispense from this requirement in extraordinary circumstances (for example, in missionary settings or times of persecution). In the Catholic Church, those deacons destined to be ordained priests are often termed transitional deacons ; those deacons who are married before being ordained, as well as any unmarried deacons who chose not to be ordained priests, are called permanent deacons . Those married deacons who become widowers have

6745-494: The minister or during their planned absences. The United Methodist Church recognizes two types of lay ministries. One is a "lay servant ministry" of (a) assisting or leading local church meetings and worship or of (b) serving as lay missioners to begin new work within the church that requires special training. The other type is the "ministry of the laity" in their daily lives. In addition to being appointed by members of their local churches, local and certified lay speakers of

6840-473: The mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the world. In this narrower sense, the Council taught that the laity's specific character is secularity: they are Christians who live the life of Christ in the world. Their role is to sanctify the created world by directing it to become more Christian in its structures and systems: "the laity, by their very vocation, seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to

6935-461: The organisation, and wear the robes of traditional Tibetan monks and nuns, in terms of traditional Buddhism they are neither fully ordained monks and nuns (Skt.: bhikshu , bhikshuni ; Tib.: gelong, gelongma) nor are they novice monks and nuns (Skt.: sramanera, srameneri; Tib.: gestul, getsulma). Unlike most other Buddhist traditions, including all Tibetan Buddhist schools, which follow the Vinaya,

7030-554: The people in the congregation and parish. Ministers are simply men and women whose gift is for their role in teaching and possibly pastoral work. They are thus selected for advanced theological education. All elders (teaching and ruling) in meetings of Session, Presbytery, or Assembly are subject to the Moderator, who may or may not be a minister but is always an elder. Many leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are lay ministers. Essentially all male members above

7125-418: The plan of God". The laity are full members of the Church, fully share in Church's purpose of sanctification, of "inner union of men with God", acting with freedom and personal responsibility and not as mere agents of the hierarchy. Due to their baptism , they are members of God's family, the Church, and they grow in intimate union with God, "in" and "by means" of the world. It is not a matter of departing from

7220-691: The possibility of seeking ordination to the priesthood in exceptional cases. While some Eastern churches have in the past recognized Anglican ordinations as valid, the current Anglican practice, in many provinces, of ordaining women to the priesthood —and, in some cases, to the episcopate—has caused the Orthodox generally to question earlier declarations of validity and hopes for union. The Catholic Church has never recognized Anglican orders as valid. Anglicanism recognizes Catholic and Orthodox ordinations; hence, clergy converting to Anglicanism are not "re-ordained". With respect to Lutheranism , "the Catholic Church has never officially expressed its judgement on

7315-516: The profession of the evangelical counsels by means of vows or other sacred bonds recognized and sanctioned by the Church, are consecrated to God in their own special way and contribute to the salvific mission of the Church; although their state does not belong to the hierarchical structure of the Church, it nevertheless belongs to its life and holiness. The narrower sense in which the Second Vatican Council gave instruction concerning

7410-474: The religion permits any baptized adult male in good standing to officiate at a baptism, wedding, or funeral. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a rite of ordination is performed to bestow either the Aaronic or Melchizedek priesthood (Hebrews 5:4–6) upon a worthy male member. As in the Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox traditions, great care is taken to assure that the candidate for priesthood

7505-522: The sacraments ( Baptism and Holy Communion ), and to be installed as a called pastor of a congregation or parish. Some Protestant traditions have additional offices of ministry to which persons can be ordained. For instance: For most Protestant denominations that have an office of bishop , including certain Lutheran and many Methodist churches, this is not viewed as a separate ordination or order of ministry. Rather, bishops are ordained ministers of

7600-550: The same order as other pastors, simply having been "consecrated" or installed into the "office" (that is, the role) of bishop. However, some Lutheran churches also claim valid apostolic succession . Some Protestant churches – especially Pentecostal ones – have an informal tier of ministers. Those who graduate from a bible college or take a year of prescribed courses are licensed ministers. Licensed ministers are addressed as "Minister" and ordained ministers as "Reverend." They, and also Evangelical pastors, are generally ordained at

7695-534: The saying "nine rabbis do not constitute a minyan, but ten cobblers can". ) Recently, in some denominations , semikhah , or semicha lehazzanut , may refer to the ordination of a hazzan (cantor); while others use the term "investiture" to describe the conferral of cantorial authority. The tradition of the ordained monastic community ( sangha ) began with the Buddha , who established orders of monks and later of nuns . The procedure of ordination in Buddhism

7790-552: The second canon thereof states, "Let a presbyter, deacon, and the rest of the clergy, be ordained by one bishop"; the latter canons, whatever their origin, were imposed on the universal church by the Seventh Ecumenical Council , the Second Council of Nicaea , in its first canon. Only a person ordained to the priesthood may administer certain sacraments (most especially, hear confessions , anointing

7885-526: The sense of "lean on", and hence "to be authorized". While the Hebrew word semikhah is rendered as "ordination" in English, a rabbi is not a priest per se , but primarily functions as a legal scholar and teacher of Torah ; and in fact, for many religious purposes the presence of a rabbi is not necessary. (For example, at prayer, a minyan (quorum) of ten lay-people is both necessary and sufficient; thus

7980-421: The service of an ordained minister or pastor . In youth ministry, however, this is not always the case — a youth ministry leader may be an ordained member of the clergy , an employed lay person , or a volunteer . Titles applied to youth ministry leaders vary widely as well, even within denominations, using terms such as "Youth Minister", "Youth Pastor", or simply "Youth Worker". Catholic youth work covers

8075-526: The sick – unction – or celebrating any Mass – the Eucharist). The Catholic Church teaches that one bishop is sufficient to consecrate a new bishop validly (that is, for an episcopal ordination actually to take place). In most Christian denominations that retain the practice of ordination, only an already ordained (consecrated) bishop or the equivalent may ordain bishops, priests, and deacons. However, Canon Law requires that bishops always be consecrated with

8170-512: The structures of the church. There are elected lay representatives on the various governing bodies of churches in the Anglican communion. In the Church of England , these governing bodies range from a local parochial church council , through Deanery Synods and Diocesan Synods . At the topmost level, the General Synod includes a house of Laity. Likewise, in the Episcopal Church in the USA,

8265-501: The term lay priesthood to emphasise that its local congregational leaders are unpaid. The word laity means "common people" and comes from the Greek : λαϊκός , romanized :  laikos , meaning "of the people", from λαός , laos , meaning "people" at large. The word lay (part of layperson , etc.) derives from the Greek word via Anglo-French lai , from Late Latin laicus . In many Christian denominations , including

8360-697: The validity of orders as they have been handed down by episcopal succession in these two national Lutheran churches" (the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland ) though it does "question how the ecclesiastical break in the 16th century has affected the apostolicity of the churches of the Reformation and thus the apostolicity of their ministry". Some Eastern Orthodox churches recognize Catholic ordinations while others "re-ordain" Catholic clergy (as well as Anglicans) who convert. However, both

8455-538: The world as the monks and the nuns do that they sanctify themselves; it is precisely through the material world sanctified by the coming of the God made flesh, i.e. made material, that they reach God. Doctors, mothers of a family, farmers, bank tellers, drivers, by doing their jobs in the world with a Christian spirit are already extending the Kingdom of God. According to the repeated statements of Popes and lay Catholic leaders,

8550-443: The world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church". Much of the ministry of the laity thus takes place outside official church structures in homes, workplaces, schools, and elsewhere. It is "through their continuous participation in political, economic, educational, and kinship institutions" that the laity "powerfully influence the character of these institutions". Laymen also play important roles in

8645-838: Was finished in 827 CE at Enryaku-ji temple on Mount Hiei , and was the first in Japan. Prior to this, those wishing to become monks/nuns were ordained using the Hinayana precepts, whereas after the Mahayana ordination platform, people were ordained with the Bodhisattva precepts as listed in the Brahma Net Sutra . Pabbajja is an ordination procedure for novice Buddhist monks in the Theravada tradition. The legitimacy of fully ordained nuns ( bhikkhuni/bhiksuni ) has become

8740-587: Was previously considered a stepping stone on the way to becoming priests, nuns and other important vocations, the trend is currently moving toward treating it as its own vocation . Ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated , that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy , who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination vary by religion and denomination. One who

8835-559: Was published. The declaration looked back a decade to the Vatican Council II with appreciation for its "compelling vision of lay Christians in society." As the Declaration interpreted it, the Council viewed the laity's "special vocation" as being the "leaven" for the "sanctification of the world" in their "secular professions and occupations". However, lamented the Declaration, the council's vision has "all but vanished" from

8930-412: Was required to reach a decision, thus nullifying the intentions of the congress. In Medieval Sōtō Zen , a tradition of posthumous ordination was developed to give the laity access to Zen funeral rites . Chinese Ch’an monastic codes, from which Japanese Sōtō practices were derived, contain only monastic funeral rites; there were no provisions made for funerals for lay believers. To solve this problem,

9025-403: Was that Catholics were a 'priest-ridden' people. Hatred for priests was a common element of anti-Catholicism and pogroms against Catholics focused on expelling, killing, or forcefully 'laicizing' priests. Beginning in the twentieth century, many Protestant denominations began re-evaluating the roles of women in their churches. Many now ordain women. According to the biblical book of Judges ,

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