On the Ordination Council of David Field

Yesterday I had the privilege to join a group of Pastors at Hardingville Bible Church in Monroeville, New Jersey as we questioning David Field regarding his life, his beliefs, and his call to the ministry. As expected, Dave did an excellent job of answering the questions. His thorough preparation for this task was obvious as he dealt with questions in all major doctrines. In addition to the accuracy of his knowledge, his humility and Christ-like spirit were evident throughout the ordeal.

I had the privilege of being Dave's Youth Pastor a number of years ago. I also had the privilege of helping him prepare his first sermon (on Deuteronomy) back in the day. Dave was a serious-minded teen in a time when many teens are far from serious-minded. Throughout his time at BJU and now as he serves as an Assistant at Hardingville Bible Church, Dave's growth in Christ and his desire to serve God's people has been evident.

Occasionally I hear of ordination councils that are essentially just rubber stamps and do not really question the candidate. I am grateful that in the circles where I live and minister that the men questioning seem to take their responsibility seriously. The office of a Pastor is not for the faint-hearted and is not the place for a novice.

While I have never been to a council where the candidate has been rejected, I do not think this is from a mere rubber stamp mentality, but rather due to the careful guiding of the candidates by their Pastors. At Hardingville, for instance, the candidates write out their statements one doctrine at a time and then the very experienced Pastoral staff (Pastor Franklin and Pastor Smith must have at least 75 years of ministry between the two of them alone) take the time to grill the prospect on that doctrine and suggest areas for further study. This process is done on each doctrine over the course of months and the candidate is not presented until Pastor Franklin and the church feels that he is ready for examination.

I count it as a privilege to have been able to participate in this council and look forward to the ordination service on Sunday night.

Congratulations, Dave. Job well done.

Just my thoughts,

Frank