Ordinance (Christianity)

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An ordinance is a term used by certain Christian denominations for a religious ritual that was instituted by Jesus for Christians to observe. [1]

Contents

Examples of ordinances include baptism and the Lord's Supper, both of which are practiced in denominations including the Anabaptist, Baptist, Churches of Christ, and Pentecostal denominations. [2] [3] Some churches, including those of the Anabaptists, include headcovering and footwashing as ordinances. [4] [5] [6]

The number of ordinances depends on the Christian denomination, with Mennonite Anabaptists counting seven ordinances, [7] while Baptists typically name two or three. [8]

Distinctions

Christian traditions, including Anabaptists (such as Mennonites and Schwarzenau Brethren), Churches of Christ, Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ, refer to "ordinances", rather than "sacraments". [9] [8] [10] While a sacrament is seen as a means of grace from God, an ordinance is a practice that rather demonstrates the participants' faith. Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant traditions (Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Moravians, Continental Reformed, Presbyterians and Congregationalists) prefer the use of the term "sacrament". [1]

Anabaptism

For Anabaptists, "ordinances brought one into conformity with the truth of Jesus Christ, whose life, crucifixion, death, and resurrection had so fundamentally altered all of humanity and creation that human beings were now capable of works of loving obedience that revealed the indwelling presence of God in Christ in all people." [11]

Seven ordinances have been taught in many Conservative Mennonite churches, which include "baptism, communion, footwashing, marriage, anointing with oil, the holy kiss, and the prayer covering." [7]

The Dunkard Brethren Church, a Conservative Anabaptist denomination in the Schwarzenau Brethren tradition, includes baptism, feetwashing, communion, the holy kiss, headcovering, and anointing of the sick among the ordinances of the Church. Feetwashing, communion and the holy kiss occur during the lovefeast. [12]

Baptists

In the Baptist tradition, the terms "sacrament" and "ordinance" are used interchangeably with reference to baptism and the Lord's Supper, with these being established explicitly by Jesus Christ. Additional ordinances include the laying on of hands (for the confirmation of believers and during ordination), which is named in the Standard Confession (1660), as well as the Washing of the Saints’ feet, which is practiced by certain Baptist denominations such as the Freewill Baptists. [13] [14] [8] [15] Certain churches in the Baptist tradition, particularly those that are Reformed Baptist, observe head covering for Christian women during prayer and worship as a biblical ordinance. [16] [17]

Mormonism

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) uses the term ordinance, however the underlying belief is sacramental. [18] [19] Rituals such as baptism, confirmation, initiatory (Chrismation, see washing and anointing ), ordination, endowment (formal vows and reception of sacred vestments) [20] and marriage are referred to as "saving ordinances", [21] as they are considered transformative and necessary for salvation and exaltation. Similar to Catholic sacraments, Mormon ordinances are only considered valid if performed by ordained clergy with apostolic succession reaching back to Jesus through Peter. [19] [22] [23] [24]

Pentecostalism

The Calvary Holiness Association, a Holiness Pentecostal denomination, affirms the ordinances of baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the washing of the Saint's feet. [25]

Certain Pentecostal denominations, such as the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church and the Christian Congregation, among others, observe the ordinance of women's headcovering in obedience to 1 Corinthians 11:4–13. [26]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Krahn, Cornelius; Rempel, John D. (1989). Ordinances. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia. The term "ordinance" emphasizes the aspect of institution by Christ and the symbolic meaning.
  2. ↑ Engle, Paul E.; Armstrong, John H. (30 August 2009). Understanding Four Views on Baptism. Zondervan. p. 60. ISBN   9780310866985. John Calvin and most other Protestant leaders rejected the Roman Catholic sacramental system but retained its vocabulary, applying the term "sacrament" only to ordinances instituted by God himself (cf. Westminster Confession of Faith 27; Belgic Confession 33). ... Unlike Baptists and Anabaptists, who tend to speak of baptism only as an "ordinance," Calvinists have characteristically spoken of baptism not only as an ordinance but also as a sacrament or a mystery, a rite through which God applies grace.
  3. ↑ Howe, Claude (1991). Holman Bible Dictionary. Broadman & Holman. Christians agree universally that baptism and the Lord's Supper were instituted by Christ and should be observed as "ordinances" or "sacraments" by His followers.
  4. ↑ Olson, Roger (2004). The Westminster Handbook to Evangelical Theology. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 259. ISBN   0664224644.
  5. ↑ Brackney, William H. (2009). Historical Dictionary of the Baptists. USA: Scarecrow Press. p. 219.
  6. ↑ Green, Chris (2016). Pentecostal Ecclesiology: A Reader. Leiden: BRILL. p. 176.
  7. 1 2 Hartzler, Rachel Nafziger (30 April 2013). No Strings Attached: Boundary Lines in Pleasant Places: A History of Warren Street / Pleasant Oaks Mennonite Church. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN   978-1-62189-635-7.
  8. 1 2 3 Cross, Anthony R.; Thompson, Philip E. (28 September 2020). Baptist Sacramentalism, Volume 3. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 35. ISBN   978-1-7252-8608-5.
  9. ↑ "Third Way Café: Sacraments/ordinances". Archived from the original on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
  10. ↑ Durnbaugh, Donald F. (1983). The Brethren Encyclopedia. Brethren Encyclopedia, Incorporated. p. 61. ISBN   978-0-936693-04-0.
  11. ↑ Volf, Miroslav; Volf, Dorothy C. (26 October 2001). Practicing Theology: Beliefs and Practices in Christian Life. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 139. ISBN   978-0-8028-4931-1.
  12. ↑ Dunkard Brethren Church Polity. Dunkard Brethren Church. 1 November 2021. p. 6.
  13. ↑ "What We Believe". National Association of Free Will Baptists. Retrieved 2 July 2025. Gospel Ordinances – Free Will Baptists believe the Bible teaches three ordinances for the church to practice: Baptism in water by immersion, the Lord's Supper, to be perpetuated until His return, and the Washing of the Saints' feet, an ordinance teaching humility.
  14. ↑ "An Orthodox Creed" (PDF). California Baptist University . 1679. p. 27. Retrieved 2 July 2025. These two Sacraments, (viz.) Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, are Ordinances of Positive, Sovereign, and holy Institution, appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Lawgiver, to be continued in his Church to the end of the259 World; and to be Administred by those only who are rightly qualified, and there-unto called, according to the Command of Christ, in Mat. 38.19.
  15. ↑ Pinson, Jr, Wm M. (9 February 2012). "Baptists' Two Ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper". Baptist Distinctives.
  16. ↑ Pestana, Carla Gardina (2004). Quakers and Baptists in Colonial Massachusetts. Cambridge University Press. p. 2. ISBN   978-0-521-52504-6.
  17. ↑ "What we believe". Bethel Reformed Baptist Church. 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2025. Female members should remember the teaching of 1 Cor. 14:34–35, and so must ask questions at Members' Meetings through their own husbands or a male member of the Church. Female head covering is the teaching of Holy Scripture, as seen in 1 Cor. 11, and so is to be observed by all female Church members in all Church Services, business and prayer meetings.
  18. ↑ "Ordinances". www.churchofjesuschrist.org.
  19. 1 2 "Ordinances - The Encyclopedia of Mormonism". eom.byu.edu. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  20. ↑ "Endowment - The Encyclopedia of Mormonism". eom.byu.edu. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  21. ↑ "Children and Youth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  22. ↑ "Ordination to the Priesthood - The Encyclopedia of Mormonism". eom.byu.edu. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  23. ↑ "Peter - The Encyclopedia of Mormonism". eom.byu.edu. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  24. ↑ "Roman Catholicism". www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  25. ↑ "Articles of Faith". Riverside Holiness Church. 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  26. ↑ Bendroth, Margaret Lamberts; Brereton, Virginia Lieson (2002). Women and Twentieth-century Protestantism. University of Illinois Press. p. 29. ISBN   978-0-252-06998-7.
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