PRIESTHOOD MANUAL 2004 Edition
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Community of Christ THE PRIESTHOOD MANUAL 2004 Edition Herald Publishing House Independence, Missouri Except where noted otherwise, quoted Bible references are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by per- mission. All rights reserved. Bible references quoted from the Holy Scriptures (com- monly referred to as the Inspired Version) are indi- cated by “IV”; copyright 2001 by Community of Christ, Independence, Missouri. Book of Mormon references are from the Revised Authorized Version; copyright 2001 by Community of Christ, Independence, Missouri. Doctrine and Covenants references are copyright 2001, Community of Christ, Independence, Missouri. Revised and Enlarged Edition Copyright © 2004 Herald Publishing House Independence, Missouri All rights in this book are reserved. No part of the text may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publishers, except brief quotations used in connection with re- views in magazines or newspapers. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data: The Priesthood Manual/Community of Christ—Rev. and enl. ed. Printed in the United States of America ISBN 0-8309-1016-6 (Paper) 0-8309-1124-3 (Hardcover) Foreword This manual is a basic resource for priesthood members in the Community of Christ. It is one of the important books that are standard works for all who share in church leadership responsibilities. Periodically this manual is revised and updated. It was almost completely rewritten in 1982, then revised and en- larged in 1985 and 1990. The current edition has many new sections as well as a general reworking of previously included chapters. Clifford A. Cole, former president of the Council of Twelve and an appointee minister for more than thirty years, was au- thor and editor of the 1985 manual. Richard A. Brown, book editor at Herald House, further revised this manual using Clif- ford Cole’s text in 1990. This new edition of The Priesthood Manual is the product of collaboration by members of the World Church Leadership Council as well as several other World Church ministers who serve at church headquarters and in specialized responsibili- ties in the field. It maintains many parts of the original work done by Apostle Cole and Brother Brown, supplemented by new and revised chapters written by numerous authors. Apos- tle Leonard M. Young was the project manager, and Brother Brown once again functioned as general editor. Because the nature of local congregational organization continues to change according to need, this book will not at- tempt to describe in detail the method by which local congre- gations should be organized. Such information can be found in other church publications such as the Congregational Leaders Handbook and the Church Administrator’s Handbook. This material is a vital reference for all who share in priesthood responsibilities. It is intended to help new priest- hood members and well-experienced ones offer effective min- istry. The First Presidency W. Grant McMurray Kenneth N. Robinson Peter A. Judd Contents Foreword Part One Chapter 1: The Nature of Priesthood .................9 Chapter 2: Priesthood Structure ......................19 Chapter 3: Melchisedec Ministry: Mission and Vision ...............................................29 Chapter 4: Aaronic Ministers: A Ministry of Presence ..........................................39 Chapter 5: Priesthood Accountability and Discipleship .....................................47 Chapter 6: The Path of the Disciple .................55 Chapter 7: Sharing Your Witness and Resources ........................................63 Chapter 8: Generosity .......................................73 Chapter 9: Historical Development ..................81 Chapter 10: Authority .........................................91 Chapter 11: Ministerial Ethics .........................101 Chapter 12: Administrative, Legislative, and Judicial Functions ........................111 Chapter 13: Priesthood Calls ............................121 Chapter 14: The Pastor’s Role in Priesthood Calls ...............................................127 Part Two Chapter 15: Worship in the Life of the Church ....................................149 Chapter 16: Preaching Ministry .......................159 Chapter 17: Leading the Prayer and Fellowship Service ...........................................167 Chapter 18: Celebrating the Sacraments ........177 Chapter 19: The Baptismal Service .................183 Chapter 20: The Confirmation Service.............191 Chapter 21: The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper ................................195 Chapter 22: The Blessing of Children ..............201 Chapter 23: Ordination .....................................205 Chapter 24: The Evangelist’s Blessing ............209 Chapter 25: The Sacrament of Marriage .........215 Chapter 26: Marriage Preparation and Planning .................................227 Chapter 27: Laying on of Hands for the Sick...241 Chapter 28: Visiting the Ill ...............................247 Chapter 29: The Funeral Service .....................251 Chapter 30: Home Ministry ..............................257 Part One 8 Chapter 1 The Nature of Priesthood Discipleship, Ministry, and Priesthood Discipleship is the fundamental call to all Christians. The only real reason for the church to exist is to embody the min- istries of Jesus in our own time and place. Because of that the church is known as the body of Christ. Each member is consid- ered a follower, or disciple, of Jesus. To be a disciple is the most basic and important element of our Christian identity. Ministry also has a universal dimension to it in that all of us who would be disciples of Jesus are called into service. Sometimes ministry is thought to be something done only by those who are ordained. But the Christian faith as understood by the Community of Christ invites all members to be minis- ters. In the Doctrine and Covenants we are told, “All are called according to the gifts of God unto them” (Doctrine and Cove- nants 119:8b). This is a statement about both the affairs of the church (each person has a ministry to bring) and those of the world (our Christian witness extends to all aspects of life). Priesthood is a particular expression of that more univer- sal ministry to which we are all called. Many of the specialized functions in the church are carried out by priesthood members, those ordained to a particular type of ministry. Divine calling to special functions emphasizes the involvement of God in all aspects of life. It is a match between the needs of the church and the gifts and commitments of some of its members. God is concerned about all of life and is involved with us in every part of our experience. 9 Calling and Acceptance of Calling Every human organization has people who perform cer- tain special functions. These functions are necessary to help the group be united in its purposes, mobilize and use its re- sources effectively, carry out its decisions, and meet the needs of its members. In order for the group to function smoothly without internal conflict, it is important for the people who perform these functions to understand their roles and be accepted by the group. When the members of a group have well-defined roles and sense the unique contribution they can make, the entire body benefits. Likewise, one’s own sense of personal ministry is thereby acknowledged, bringing fulfill- ment in service. In the Community of Christ priesthood responsibilities involve a sense of calling on the part of the priesthood mem- ber and acceptance of that calling by the people who will be served. This same principle pertains to every priesthood office at every level of church life. The calling is discerned by the church officer responsible for initiating priesthood calls, usu- ally the pastor of a congregation. After appropriate approvals have been received the call is presented to the individual for a personal decision. It is then submitted to a conference for ap- proval by the people. This process honors the place of personal calling and also acknowledges the rights of those who will be the recipients of the ordained ministry. Ordination and Vocation Our church holds to the belief that all of life is sacred. There are no areas in which God is not present. God joins with us in our organizations and activities as the One who creates and loves us. God calls us to share in the divine purpose. This, to some extent, accounts for the wide range of ministries in- herent in the several orders and offices of the priesthood. The church recognizes in its priesthood structure that activities considered by many to be secular have a ministerial dimen- sion. Part of this is caught up in the notion of vocation. We recognize that ministry also occurs in the workplace, where 10 teachers touch the lives of children, or factory workers labor alongside friends in need, or business people work ethically and responsibly as members of society. Such expressions of ministry do not require ordination, but emerge naturally from the heart of a disciple. Every disciple should sense the call of God to represent Christian principles in all of life. Some will sense a call to unique and specialized ministries within the life of the church. These are the ministerial functions that involve ordination. Priesthood Roles in the Congregation Roles in society are undergoing changes and new under- standings. This is also true of priesthood.