Holy Orders is the church’s term for ministry conferred through ordination. In Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican traditions, the principal orders are bishops, priests, and deacons. Some Lutheran and Methodist churches use “orders” more broadly for clergy positions, while many Protestant churches speak simply of ordination or ministry.
What does “Holy Orders” mean?
“Holy Orders” names a structure of ordained ministry rather than a single job title. The word “orders” refers to distinct offices. In Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches, the principal orders are bishops, priests, and deacons. Churches use them to organize worship, service, and pastoral oversight.
Do not confuse Holy Orders with a “religious order,” such as the Dominican Order or a community of sisters and nuns. A religious order is a community with a distinctive rule and history. In its full sense, Holy Orders refers to sacramental or priestly ministry within a church. The history of Catholic religious orders explains that separate distinction.
Who are bishops, priests, and deacons?
The titles overlap in some settings, but their usual functions differ:
- Bishops ordain others and provide oversight of a diocese, cathedral, or other area of ministry.
- Priests, called presbyters in Eastern Orthodoxy, commonly serve a parish, celebrate the Eucharist, preach, and provide pastoral care.
- Deacons assist with worship and service. Their work may include proclaiming the Word, assisting at Communion, and organizing charitable work. Some churches treat the diaconate as a lifelong order rather than a step toward priesthood.
How does ordination take place?
In these traditions, ordination is understood as a sacred act of commissioning as well as a church decision. Churches normally choose candidates through discernment, preparation, and examination; candidates make vows; and a bishop performs the rite. Scripture is read, the candidate is presented, and the bishop uses laying on of hands while the church prays. The service may also include vesting and the laying of hands by other clergy.
Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches understand ordination as a sacramental rite. Their explanations of its spiritual meaning differ, but each places it within the church’s public life. The difference between a priest, pastor, and minister depends partly on these traditions and partly on a church’s structure.
How do other Protestant churches use the word?
In many Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, and nondenominational churches, people speak of being ordained to ministry rather than receiving “Holy Orders.” Lutherans may describe ordained pastors and other servants as orders; Methodists have bishops, elders, and deacons within their ordained ministry. Baptist churches do not have a priesthood, and their procedures vary by congregation. These churches generally teach the priesthood of all believers.
What to expect at an ordination service
An ordination service may be held in a congregation, cathedral, chapel, or seminary. Visitors may hear the call to ordination, a sermon, the laying on of hands, solemn prayers, and the new minister’s first act of ministry. Some traditions use special vestments; others wear ordinary clergy attire. Congregations may celebrate with music, applause, or a meal afterward. The central act is the church’s public commissioning of someone for ministry.