United Methodists examine future of ordained ministry Jan. 27, 2004 A UMNS Feature By Linda Green* NASHVILLE,
Tenn. - United Methodists are wrestling with questions about who has
the authority to administer sacraments in the church. The
denomination recognizes two sacraments: baptism and Holy Communion.
Questions about who should administer those sacraments stem from
differing interpretations of the meaning of ordained ministry since the
1996 General Conference. That year, the church's top assembly reordered
the denomination's ministry, creating two types of clergy - elders and
permanent deacons. The denomination also uses local pastors to carry out
ministry. General
Conference did what it believed was appropriate at the time, said the
Rev. Jerome King Del Pino, top staff executive at the United Methodist
Board of Higher Education and Ministry in Nashville. But, he said, the
conference did not address a variety of issues around the meaning of
ordination. "Even
though we will always need to have ordained people, we do not yet have a
clear understanding of how these orders relate to one another," said
Del Pino. "One of the tensions is in who is authorized to do what." Do
deacons and local pastors have authority to administer the sacraments as
elders do? "Sacramental
authority is not to be construed as endowing certain persons with the
ability to dispense grace," said Sarah Heaner Lancaster, a professor at
Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Lancaster
and Del Pino participated in a January symposium that examined the
future of ordained ministry in the denomination. It was the first of a
series of such events planned by the board to address the issue. Referring
to the Book of Discipline, Lancaster said the church has structured
itself to give elders the specific responsibility of administering the
sacraments while deacons may assist at the request of the elder. Lancaster
stressed that the roles of deacons and elders are "overlapping,
distinct and complementary." They overlap because all Christians are
called to proclaim and teach the gospel in some way and to perform acts
of service, she said. Deacons,
she said, represent the denomination through a lifetime of service to
the world. Elders do the same but with added responsibilities, including
administering the sacraments. Sacramental
authority was one of many issues at the symposium. Clergy from a
variety of settings discussed the characteristics of ordination,
focusing on authority relating to word, service, sacrament and order.
Other topics emphasized being vital for the future and faithful to the
past, and on the relationship between the church's understanding of its
ordered ministry and its understanding as a part of the body of Christ. Throughout
the symposium, speakers emphasized that the church has undergone a
significant change over the years in its understanding of ordained
ministry and who is eligible to serve as a pastor in the church. Setting
apart people for ordained ministry in American Methodism has always
been controversial, said Richard Heitzenrater, a professor at United
Methodist-related Duke Divinity School, Durham, N.C. The debate about
ordination reflects the differences in opinion about the nature of the
church, he said. The
challenge faced by the church is to meet the needs of the present and
future in ways that have integrity and vitality, Heitzenrater said. "We
must constantly adapt to new situations while we hold fast to the basic
principles that define us as a part of the body of Christ." He added
that past models and methods cannot be relied upon for easy answers to
today's ministerial problems. The
Rev. M. Douglas Meeks, a professor at Vanderbilt Divinity School, said
discussions about the past, present and future of ordained ministry have
been ongoing for nearly 25 years. "What we are trying to do with the
symposiums and upcoming conversations is take seriously what ordination
has meant in the tradition and what it means today." The
Rev. Mary Ann Moman, staff executive in the denomination's Division of
Ordained Ministry, expressed optimism about the future of ordained
ministry. "I
am hopeful," she said, "because the church is longing for leaders who
will ask the questions of faith, who are not afraid of the ambiguity
that exists in our living, who desire to live in community, who trust
their colleagues to hold them accountable, and who can leave room for
the spirit to blow through the church." *Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer in Nashville, Tenn. News media can contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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