The meaning and function of ordination in the life of the congregation:

A call for women's ordination

Najla Abou-Sawan Kassab

Ordained ministry in the Reformed tradition is inextricably interwoven with the general ministry of the church. It must not be perceived away from the general ministry of the church which is a ministry of reconciliation. Although ordained ministry ("special ministry") and general ministry are bound to each other, there is a distinctive character to the special ministry. This does never elevate the ordained ministry. Rather it stresses the specificity in function of such ministry for the sake of order in the institutional life of the church. Ordained ministry, whether in preaching the Word or celebrating the Sacraments, should reflect and live the ministry of reconciliation as its ultimate goal. The opportunity for ordination should also reflect this spirit of reconciliation. Consistent with the general ministry of reconciliation and as the function of ordained ministry to embody the call for reconciliation, ordination of women should be accepted.

A Reformed understanding of the ministry of the church stresses that the church in itself is not a fulfilment, but a process. In his book Principles of Christian Theology, John Macquarrie describes the church as "a stage on the way from actual sinful humanity to the kingdom...It is a kind of bridge between the place where humanity actually is and its destiny as the kingdom of God."¹

The church, then, is not the preserver of the new humanity fulfilled in Christ, rather it strives towards achieving and living the new humanity and becoming an "historical embodiment"² of the full humanity yet to come. The church strives between the fallen humanity and a new humanity whose signs may be traced here and there in the life of the church. This new humanity was alluded to in the ministry of Jesus - a ministry of reconciliation. In as much as the church is in this process toward the new humanity, toward reconciliation, then any institutional order of the church should be seen as a part of the process and not an end unto itself.

When the ministry of the church is a ministry of reconciliation then "all Christian ministry whether we are thinking of the ministry of the whole people, or of the ministry of those ordained to the special offices, is a participation in the ministry of Christ"³. "Those who are ordained are equipped and commissioned for communicating Christ's call through word and sacrament".⁴ They are commissioned by the church to live the full ministry of reconciliation and to invite the people to participate in living that ministry. Those who are commissioned by the church to celebrate the sacraments and preach the word are set apart for a specific function, not simply as performers for a specific tasks, but rather as proclaimers for the ministry of reconciliation through word and sacrament. Their function is seen as a part of a wider puzzle which, when brought together, will clarify the meaning of reconciliation. Thus what they do and teach ought to be consistent with the ministry of reconciliation.

Those who are ordained do not receive at ordination any specific grace to perform such a call different from the grace given to all the people. This is why ordination is not considered a sacrament in the Reformed tradition and why the priesthood of all believers is stressed. Still, one ought not confuse between the priesthood of all believers and the elimination of the priestly function altogether.⁵ The Reformed tradition stresses the functional meaning of ordination and not the ontological one. That is In ordination there is "continuity to grace, grace is mediated through the earthen vessels of people, institution, elements - continuity of God's favour becoming reappropriated in each new generation through the continuity of the special ministry equipped for the proclamation and teaching of the Word."⁶ Ontologically there is no distinction between those who are ordained and those who are not. It is only a functional distinction.

Ordination, is not centred, then around the person, who by no means received specific grace, but rather the office. Ordination serves the task of achieving reconciliation. Ordination in itself is not a fulfilment, but rather part of a process which aims at reconciliation. With such an understanding for ordination, then the value of ordination pertains to how, as an office, it fulfils reconciliation as lived and practised in the life of the church.

Willis, in his article 'Sacraments as Visible Words,' says:

That reconciliation is experienced and proclaimed in the whole life of the whole people of God does not mean, therefore that all the areas of their lives are media to communicating the message of reconciliation; and it means that the responsibility for that communication is not delegated to only one group within the church. Surely there is a diversity of gifts and surely this means that all members of the body are not simply interchangeable, but the development of the gifts so that each part performs its service within the whole makes possible a living together which itself is a form of proclamation and which is a proleptic instance of the quality of life which God wills.⁷

The entire life of the people should mediate reconciliation.and the institutional life and order of the church should reflect it as well. Reconciliation here is not understood merely with our reconciliation with God but surely our reconciliation with each other as reflected in our daily life. Thus, every sermon, every decision, any organizational matter in the life of the people of God ought to reflect reconciliation. Any institutional order should be valued and scrutinized accordingly.

Ordination as an order of the church ought to be evaluated in the light of reconciliation. Thus, the ordination of women is nothing less than a deeper understanding of, and commitment to, the life of reconciliation to which we are called. In this way, ordination, when restricted only to men, does not reflect a message of reconciliation. Rather it creates a gap between the general ministry and the specific ministry in the church. This echoes a biased message within the church. Although women are called in the general ministry of the church to share their gifts for serving Christ, they are restricted and warned not to approach ordination, for this is a holy ground upon which women cannot step. This double message is clearly stated in the practice of any church which deprives women the opportunity of ordination, the opportunity to fully share what God has given them.

When women as well as men are ordained according to their call, then the sense of continuity of which we have spoken is lived and fulfilled. The church then lives what it teaches. Any discontinuity between the two creates a dichotomy in church thinking. This dichotomy prevails in the thinking of some church members who elevate the ordained ministry and consequently perceive women who desire to be ordained as seeking status, power or position in the church. Others understand the continuity between the general ministry and specific ministry, but confuse the two and thus claim that since women are already serving in the church there is no need for them to serve as ordained ministers. Both views negate the teaching of the church encouraging the use of all the gifts one has received for the sake of following Christ's ministry of reconciliation.

Although there is not a long history of women being ordained in the Reformed tradition, the understanding of ordination in our tradition opens the door and invites women to be ordained so that the ministry of reconciliation is well lived and practised. Women seek ordination out of their deep understanding of reconciliation and their responsibility to share the gifts which God has entrusted to them. Ordination of women is then the full sharing of the gifts that are given by God in the body of Christ. These gifts are not interchangeable. The unique nature of the gifts of each member of the body of Christ should be appreciated and valued. This joining in service is the real meaning of partnership and a reflection of the reconciliation which Christ preached Additionally, since ordination is an institutional order ontologically unrelated to the person, then its function is dependent on the gifts of the ordained person and not his or her gender. The gifts of both men and women are needed in the church as a full proclamation of the work of Christ in reconciliation.

Within the context of the Middle East, reconciliation is a vital and crucial term for many institutions today, whether in the social, political or spiritual arenas. Many political parties try to reach out under the title of reconciliation. Although some of these institutions, have principles and ideologies not necessarily rooted in the meaning of reconciliation, still they are moved at least to speak about it, if not live it, due to the people's need for reconciliation. Reconciliation has become a motto associated with understanding the meaning of existence and efforts to reach out to one-another.

Churches in the Middle East, particularly those of the Reformed tradition are challenged to contribute to the meaning of reconciliation in the society. This is a challenge to live out reconciliation as a reflection of what the church is and not merely what it does. The church reaches for reconciliation out of its identity, from its very being, and not as a separate act. The church cannot but live reconciliation in its ministry and mission, in order to be the church. Thus the church in the Middle East can never teach reconciliation in the society if reconciliation is not lived and embodied in all the areas and life of the church. Accordingly, if ordination does not reflect reconciliation then it is a hinderance for the ministry of the church and its witness to the society.

Living the message of reconciliation in the life of the church and its institutional structure is to be prophetic in the society today. This prophetic role of the church in the Middle East is made alive by living integrally between what the church teaches and the way it lives. The role of the church in society is always weakened when the church starts to compromise its basic beliefs in order to be accepted by other religions, traditions and social structures.

The churches of the Reformed tradition in the Middle East are called to ordain women as a real proclamation of God's act of reconciliation. This change in the life of the church should be understood in light of the ultimate goal of the church to fulfil reconciliation and never in the light of the specific order of previous times. In this way, Reformed tradition and identity is made alive in the life of the community where the church is reforming continually.

Questions raised in the Reformed tradition today concerning ordination of women echo questions raised during the Reformation. When the church was mislead by wrong practice, the Reformation arose to question how that practise fit the ministry of the church. Where women are excluded from ordained ministry, whether for cultural reasons, wrong teaching or prejudice, the church should question how can we preach reconciliation when the structure of the church does not reflect it.

The ordination of women is an act which lives out the meaning of ordination as understood in the Reformed tradition. It is one way of living reconciliation in the life of the church. A deeper understanding for the function of ordination in the life of the church cannot but be an invitation for women to participate in the journey of reconciliation to which we are all called.

Notes