Priesthood is service
The Anglican Church of the Diocese of the Upper Shire on Saturday last week ordained three priests and three deacons. JAMES CHIMPWEYA talked to Bishop Brighton Malasa of the diocese, who is also chairman of the Anglican Council in Malawi, to shed light on the process of ordination.
As the Anglican Church, what do you believe in?
The Anglican Church believes in three ordinal orders and that is to orderings of Bishops, Priests and Deacon. These three orders are thus regarded holy orders in the Anglican Church. It must also be noted that the Anglican Church in our Province of Central Africa, which includes Malawi, as of now does not ordain women to these Holy orders.
What are the aspects of the ordination service?
The key aspect of the service is the making of the vows to obedience to God through his representation of the local bishop in the diocese. The other key aspect is the prayers by the church to those to be ordained. The climax of all is the laying on of hands to the candidate. The laying of hands represents the descending of the Holy Spirit and also the sharing of the ministry by those already ordained in the same ministry in what we call apostolic succession from the time of Jesus Christ to Peter and other apostles, which has been passed on through history to our modern times. It is believed that ordination is the continuity of this apostolic succession as there has not been a time when the succession has been broken in our genealogy.
Who conducts the ordination?
The Diocesan Bishop presides over the ordination of priests and indeed the deacons, normally those that shall work with his diocese and jurisdiction. During the service, the Diocesan Bishop requests those to be ordained to publicly declare their allegiance to him and the church as a whole. It is the church’s teaching that the Bishop of the Diocese if the symbol of unity in the diocese to the outer world. So, when those to be ordained make their obedience vows before the Diocesan Bishop, they are in other words making the same vow before God and indeed to his church.
That is why those making such vows need to know this well before committing themselves to the doctrine and ideology which they are understood.
During such ceremonies we see those being ordained lying down. What does this mean?
The lying down of these people shows total submission and obedience to God. These are key in the service. There is a part where the church prays for those to be ordained in litany, during which the ordinand prostrates or lies down in total surrender to the almighty God to use them as his servants in the holy orders to be given to them shortly in the service by the laying of hands. Those to be made deacons are only laid hands by the Diocesan Bishop only. But those who are to be admitted in the order of priests are laid hand by the Bishop and other Bishops present and all the already ordained priests present during the service.
Who is a priest?
A priest is an ordained man specifically set apart to be a pastor, priest, teacher and prophet in his local parish. He is given the powers to administer or provide sacrament on behalf of Jesus Christ, the chief priest. He is to pray for the people and also provide guidance to the flock of God.
How about a deacon?
The word deacon simply means a servant in the church. He is then attached to a parish to be overseen by a priest who is more experienced to assist the young man to grow into a proper priest. He is then drilled pragmatically into pastoral duties and other official assignments which may from time to time be assigned to him by his supervisor. He can then be a deacon from a minimum of one more year or two or more depending on performance.
