New Ordination Standards

Among the most significant responsibilities we have as pastors in Sovereign Grace is to entrust the gospel to the next generation of pastors.

In his last letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul commands him and us: “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). 

Entrust what you have heard to faithful men. 

There are many different ways we entrust what we have heard—the gospel and sound doctrine—to the next generation of pastors. One vital way we can do so is by continuing to uphold the high calling and biblical standards of eldership. 

THE ORDINATION PROCESS IN SOVEREIGN GRACE

Since ratifying the Book of Church Order in 2013, we have joined together to uphold the high calling and biblical standards of eldership through our ordination process, which has included extensive reading, theological papers, and written and oral exams administered by our Regional Ordination Committees.

THE NEW ORDINATION STANDARDS

On November 10, 2020, we concluded a seven year process of writing and deliberating and adopted our new Statement of Faith. Since then, the Theology Committee has rewritten our ordination standards to follow the Statement of Faith. These new ordination standards were approved in November of 2021 and are now ready to be used by our Regional Ordination Committees and our elder candidates. The full text of the ordination standards can be found in the Ordination Guide HERE.

The new ordination standards include many of the same things as before, local eldership evaluations, theological papers, and written and oral exams. However, the new ordination standards include a few changes:

•       There is no specific reading requirement. Preparing for the ordination exams will require reading! However, there is no longer a specific reading requirement. Local elderships can obviously continue to require reading; however, the reading requirement unnecessarily slowed the process for certain candidates. 

•       Both of the theology exams are online. In seeking to examine candidates on each part of the Statement of Faith, we expanded the theology exam into two smaller exams. In addition, these exams will be online, allowing for speedier grading and a variation of questions for repeat exam takers.

We are excited for these new standards to go live! 

We feel sure there will be a few kinks to work out as we go live and begin using the new ordination standards, so please do not hesitate to reach out to us or the chairman of your Regional Ordination Committee with questions. 

It is a joy to serve the Lord with you, 

The Theology Committee

Team Health Evaluation Tool

Pastoring on a pastoral team is an honor and a gift...and also a road marked by pitfalls.  Conflict, poor communication, and relational disunity on a pastoral team can lead to discouraged and weary pastors, and eventually, can diminish the unity and health of the whole church.

On a recent Zoom call with Sovereign Grace pastors, Mark Prater, Mickey Connolly, and I discussed the importance of ongoing study, intentional evaluation, and faithful growth in our team effectiveness. In order to support that effort, we referenced the following tool that Sovereign Grace teams can use, in conjunction with their regional leader, to evaluate and coordinate conversation about the current health and effectiveness of their teams.

We pray that it will serve ongoing team unity and strength as we all labor together for the good of God's people and the progress of the gospel.

---