Ordination
The Carpenter's Apprentices holds a significantly different understanding of licensing and ordination than that of most Christian licensing bodies. We do not "ordain" or "license" individuals in the commonly used sense of those words.
In the ultimate spiritual sense, all true spiritual calling, gifting, anointing and ordination to purpose comes from God, not from man. That is to say, GOD ordains men and women to ministry, NOT man. God has, however, instructed His servants both to be accountable to one another and to receive ministry from one another. Ordination should therefore be seen as a covenant between the individual minister and a licensing organization and as a protective covering for the individual minister. Ordination is the body's RELATIONSHIP with a minister, not its PERMISSION to minister.
Ordination by The Carpenter's Apprentices represents such a covenant of mutual accountability in the spirit of Matthew 10:41, where Jesus Himself tells us that the one who gladly receives ministry from an anointed minister of God shall receive the reward of that ministry. By the act of ordination, individuals being ordained acknowledge that they are in unity with the beliefs and purposes of The Carpenter's Apprentices, understanding that they receive the blessing and reward of apostolic ministry in their own life and ministry. The Carpenter's Apprentices in turn acknowledges that they will receive the blessing and reward of the ministerial input of the one being ordained.
Although The Carpenter's Apprentices recognizes that the gifts and callings of God are of immeasurable variety, in the spirit of Ephesians 4:11-16 we believe that there are five specific callings to ministry that God has ordained specifically for the healthy operation of local Christian communities: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers - the so-called "fivefold ministry." Thus, we offer the relationship of ordination only to those who have demonstrated supernatural giftedness and proficiency in one of these five callings.
Licensing
As a legal convenience for those who minister under the covering of The Carpenter's Apprentices, we offer licensing to our ministers. Some states, countries and other legal authorities require evidence of the individual's authorization to perform those duties, e.g., weddings, funerals, or ministry in hospitals and prisons. Ministers holding license with The Carpenter's Apprentices are duly authorized to perform whatever ecclesiastical duties are right and proper to the execution of their ministries.
All ministers who have entered into the ordination covenant with The Carpenter's Apprentices are automatically licensed. We do offer licensing for those who are gifted in other specific areas of ministry as well: intercessors, psalmists, and those with gifts of healing and helps.
Ordained Ministers:
The following individuals have been recognized by The Carpenter's Apprentices as ordained of God for the indicated fivefold ministry, and each has entered into a mutual covenant relationship with us. Additional significant gifts and anointings, if any, recognized in this minister by this body are listed in parentheses following the minister's name.
Licensed Ministers:
The following individuals have been recognized by The Carpenter's Apprentices as supernaturally called and gifted of God for the indicated primary ministry, and each has entered into a mutual covenant relationship with us. Additional significant gifts and anointings, if any, recognized in this minister by this body are listed in parentheses following the minister's name.
Psalmistry:
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