Ordination Questions for Ecclesiology (Church)

These questions have been compiled from 10 ordinations within Baptist Church in West Michigan. I trust these will help you prepare for ordination and appreciate the Truth of God and His Word!

Ordination #1

1.         Who founded the church?

2.         Give Biblical proof of when the church started.

3.         What is the function of the “church his body”?

4.         Why is the local church important?

5.         Why should the church worship on Sunday? Give biblical proofs.

6.         In Ephesians 4:11, define and describe each office.

7.         Explain the meanings of “elder, bishop, pastor.”

8.         Give a definition of the “local church.”

9.         What is needed to establish a local church?

10.        What are the Biblical offices and responsibilities of the offices of the local church?

11.        What is your position on plurality of elders, and why?

12.        What is the function and authority of the pastor?

13.        What is the Biblical ministry of deacons?

14.        Who makes the final decision in church matters?

15.   Does the gift of “evangelist” relieve us of personal evangelism responsibility?

16.        What procedure do you have for receiving members?

17.        Should there be a probationary period for new converts before being baptized?

18.        Upon what authority do missionaries baptize?

19.        Give Biblical proof for the validity of single immersion as the only acceptable mode.

20.        Distinguish between an ordinance and a sacrament.

21.        Would you baptize a person who did not plan to join your church? Why?

22.        Do we baptize people into the local church?

23.        Would you accept the baptism at a camp of a new convert?

24.        In what cases might you demand a person be rebaptized?

25.   What are the proper elements for the Lord’s table?

26.   Would you take communion to a shut-in? Why?

27.   What restrictions would you place on the receiving of communion?

28.   With whom would you feel free to have personal fellowship?

29.   With whom would you feel free to have church cooperation fellowship?

30.   In your absence, where would you look for pulpit supply?

31.   What is your missionary policy?

32.   Give a statement on Biblical ecclesiastical separation.

33.   How far do you carry separation?

34.   How would you deal with: Carnality, Willful sin, Doctrinal error, Immorality, Gossip

35.   Why is it important to be a member of a local church?

36.   To whom was the great commission given, and how should it be carried out?

37.   What are your personal separation stands and why? Movies, Social drinking, TV, Music

38.   What is your stand about divorce: Are there any Biblical grounds for divorce? Are there any cases where you would perform the service for a remarriage to a different one? Where would you use these folks in your church?

39.   What are the Baptist distinctives and how important are they?

Ordination #2

1. Explain that ecclesiastical polity. Explain the role of the congregation and elders?Are their biblical examples of how the congregation was involved in the bible

2. Please explain the difference between the elder and deacon.

3. In your words, what is the significance of being a pastor?

4. What does healthy, scriptural accountability look like for a pastor?

5. Is being a pastor a higher calling?

6. What does it mean to be blameless?

7. What is are 5 duties of a pastor? Which one is the highest and most important?

8. How can deacons and pastors fulfil the biblical responsibility practically? Can the deacons be the overseer’s of the pastor? Is there a difference between being lead between an elder board vs pastors?

9. Can a pastor and/or deacons be an individual be a divorce?

10. Relate the priesthood of the believer with Christ being the head of the church.

11. What makes for a healthy church?

12. Is membership important?

13. Why would you ever want to be a pastor knowing all of the danger that lurks?

14. Do you have kids? How will you raise your kids to love the church? How do you help teach the students in your ministry to love the Church? 

Ordination #3

1. Do you believe in congregational authority and why?

2. Church ordinances: would you receive a non-emerged believer into your church membership?

3. Lord’s Supper: would you bring communion to a shutin? Live-Stream?

4. Open, closed, close communion, thoughts?

5. Lord Supper: open to believers and not baptized and not church members?

6. Doctrine of Separation: Church Fellowship line?

7. Are there any biblical items that deacons should be responsible for?

8. What is your thoughts on real wine as communion juice?

Ordination #4

1. What is church growth and how do you as a pastor cultivate and pursue that?

2. Can you think of a verse that says we should measure growth within a church?

3. Can women or men serve in the role of deacon?

4. Consider Act 6, why were the first deacons only men?

5. Should every good Christian become a member within a church? Can you be a good Christian and not be a member?

6. Should you baptism someone in a lake with just family around if asked?

Ordination #5

- Is it that important that we meet together? Why?

- To what extent are the ordinances important in the church?

- Pastor, do I need to be baptized, the right way, to be right with the Lord?

- What expectation do you have on meeting on Sunday, vs other day that individuals meet?

- Do you believe the Sabbath, Christian Sabbath is applicable today?

- Can women be deacons within the church?

- How do you strive to be a servant leader? With teens? With Adults?

- Please discuss and explain the responsibility and practice of church discipline within the church.

- Ordinances: Youth retreat and someone comes to Christ – would you baptize them in Grand Haven or have communion with the teens on the beach.

- What is your view on creeds, etc. used within the church?

- Is the church for unbelievers or believers?

- What is the role of the church in social issues within our world?

Ordination #6

1. Pastor and deacons are in your document – can you have plurality of elders

2. How do you reconcile the fact that you are not marriage and you are a pastor.

3. Pastor’s wife passes and remarriage please justify this with “Husband of one wife”

4. Biblical reasons for Church Membership

5. How should a church go about choosing their pastor(s)?

6. Who essentially calls the pastor? Team, congregation, etc?

7. What is your position on Church discipling?

8. What sins are listed as Church discipline kinds of sin?

9. Why pursue ordination?

10. Do you think there is a biblical precedent for ordination?

11. Is there a difference between licensing and ordination?

12. What difference will this ordination process make for you?

13. What happens if this council recommends to not encourage the church to move forward?

14. With many assumptions “Baptist,” Are you comfortable with the distinctives with being a Baptist?

15. What do you see being valuable for being part of a state and national association?

16. What would you say is the distinction between deacons and elders?

17. What are your thoughts lay elders being part of an elder team?

18. Ordinances, who is able to participate and lead?

19. Small group communion or with a shut-in, where can communion/baptism be done?

20. What are your thoughts lay elders?

21. Would there be value to bring communion to a shut-in that is in the hospital?

22. What is the “Big Picture” reason for having communion?

23. Are you for or against Online communion?

24. What is the purpose of/for the Local Church?

25. What are essential components of the Church to be the church?

26. Are you a church if you do not practice church and discipline?

27. If you refuse to practice church discipline, are you a church?

Ordination #7

1. What is the role of the youth within the body of the church?

2. You are seeking ordination from a Baptist church, what is a Baptist church?

3. What is a Baptist Church vs others?

4. UNFAIR QUESTION– Distinguish between the three main roots that came out of the reformation. Give us a little history lesson and what are the difference between the three (Lutherans, reformers, radical)

5. What are the requirements for ordinances: to participate and to lead?In youth ministry, how do you navigate baptism and participation in communion with them?

6. Expound on your view that Israel and the Church are different? How would you teach the difference?

7. I was baptized down the street, does this count without fruit?

8. Baptism can happen outside of the church, can communion be done outside the church?Passages of scripture???

Ordination #8

1. Difference between Local and Universal Church.

2. Elder, Pastor, Deacon - what is a Bishop?

3. Self-rule of each congregation. List scripture to prove.

4. Do you believe in the Imminent Return of Christ?

5. What is your view of communion: closed, open, or close?

6. Is local church membership important?

7. Give biblical support for local church membership.

8. What disqualifies a pastor or deacon?

9. What are the qualifications for pastor and deacon?

10. Reconcile infidelity/divorce with deacon and pastor's position.

11. What role does the New Covenant have in church today?

12. Do you require baptism before membership?

13. In the church, what can non-baptized people do?

14. Local church role in missions and being a sending agency.

15. Update us on your view of church discipline.

16. Is church discipline only for the goal of restoration?

17. What dimensions of baptism are there? (Hint: symbol)

18. What form of governance best reflects your view?

Ordination #9

·       Are the ordinances listed in you doctrinal statement are sequential? Is baptism required before taking communion?

·       Are the elements of communion to be leavened or unleavened?

·       Why is the Lord’s Supper significant?

·       Is fermented wine necessary for communion? Why would unleavened bread be necessary?

·       How would you describe with is acceptable and unacceptable cross pollination of churches?

·       Why is church important?

·       Would you have communion with a shut-in?

·       Is there any specification about the juice used in communion?

·       Why do you love the church?

Ordination #10

·       Given your statement that Israel and the church are distinct, how do you explain the union of Jew and Gentile described in Romans 11 and Ephesians 2:14?

·       Are there sins that would disqualify a person from ministry? If divorce disqualifies, what do we make of God divorcing (Jer. 3:8)?

·       How do you determine that a deviation is significant enough so as to require separation?

·       What are the baptist distinctives?

·       Do you love the local church? Why?

·       What is your understanding regarding church polity?

·       What sets the church apart?

·       What is the role of women in the church?