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Order for the Ordination and Installation of Deacons and Elders
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New Utrecht Reformed Church

328 Years
1677-2005

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The ecclesiastical duties of elders and deacons are set forth in the Book of Church Order (Chapter 1, Part I, Article 1, Sections 8 and 10). These shall be made known to the congregation prior to election to office and these office holders shall acquaint themselves therewith.

The BCO (Chapter 1, Part I, Article 2, Section 11) directs that the names of elders- and deacons-elect shall be published in the church on three successive Sundays preceding their installation in order that the board of elders may consider legitimate objections.

Elders and deacons may be reelected, but shall not be reordained. When reelected the following order shall be used as an installation.

After the sermon and the prayer for blessing on the Word, as part of the Response to God, the presiding minister shall begin:
 
PRESENTATION

Beloved in the Lord,
we have come to ordain and install elders and deacons
in Christ's holy church.
Christ alone is the source of all Christian ministry,
through the ages calling men and women to serve.

By the Holy Spirit all who believe and are baptized receive a ministry
to witness to Jesus as Savior and Lord, and
to love and serve those with whom they live and work.
We are ambassadors for Christ
who reconciles and makes whole.
We are the salt of the earth;
We are the light of the world.

Following Christ's resurrection and ascension,
God has given the church
apostles, prophets, and teachers,
deeds of power, gifts of healing,
forms of assistance and leadership.

We stand within a tradition
where God calls and empowers
deacons, elders, and ministers of Word and sacrament.
The elder vice president of consistory invites the candidates forward, saying:
This congregation has elected the following people
to the offices of deacon and elder:
Marilyn Sciarrino
to be ordained and installed to the Office of Deacon;
Erik Ander
to be ordained and installed to the Office of Elder;
Rose Lood
to be installed as deacon;
and Susan Hanyen
to be installed as elder.
The candidates shall remain standing, the presiding minister continues:
Deacons and elders are called to serve as Christ served.
We look to them to be people of
spiritual commitment, exemplary life,
compassionate spirit, and sound judgment.
 
Deacons are set apart
for a ministry of mercy, service, and outreach.
They gather gifts and offerings,
care for them faithfully, and
distribute them with wisdom and compassion
to persons in need and
for purposes that advance God's kingdom on earth.
Deacons visit and comfort the distressed,
provide for whatever necessities may arise, and
assist the congregation at services of worship.
 
Elders are set apart
for a ministry of watchful and responsible care
for the welfare and order of the church.
They have oversight of all members,
including one another, the deacons, and the ministers,
equipping everyone to live in harmony with God's Word.
They ensure the Word of God
is rightly proclaimed and taught, and
the sacraments faithfully administered.
Elders assist the ministers with their good counsel; and
serve all Christians
with advice, consolation, and encouragement.
Elders and deacons, together with the ministers,
form the consistory
to lead God's people in proclaiming
good news to the poor,
righteousness to the nations, and
peace among all.
The consistory provides for the welfare of the church,
stewardship of property and finance, and
the spiritual benefit and growth of all Christ's people.
 
As the three offices of deacon, elder, and minister of Word and sacrament,
are united in Christ,
so also in the church one office is not separate from the others.
The minister of Word and sacrament does not serve without the elder
and neither without the deacon.
Together they enable the whole mission of the church.

Everything in the church will be done decently and in order
when faithful persons are called to office, and
responsibly fulfill their charge.
The presiding minister addresses the deacons- and elders-elect:
Sisters, before almighty God,
and in the presence of this congregation,
answer sincerely these questions:

Do you confess together with us and the church throughout the ages
your faith in one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

Yes, truly, with all my heart.
The presiding minister shall invite the congregation to stand:
Let us all stand with these sisters,
confessing our faith in the words of the Apostles' Creed.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.


I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
   
     who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
   
     born of the Virgin Mary,
   
     suffered under Pontius Pilate,
   
     was crucified, died, and was buried;
   
     he descended to the dead.
   
     On the third day he rose again;
   
     he ascended into heaven,
   
     he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
   
     and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
   
     the holy catholic Church,
   
     the communion of saints,
   
     the forgiveness of sins,
   
     the resurrection of the body,
   
     and the life everlasting. Amen.

The congregation is seated; the candidates remain standing, the presiding minister addresses the candidates:

Do you believe in your heart that you are called by Christ's church,
and therefore by God, to this office?

Yes, truly, with all my heart.

Do you believe the books of the Old and New Testaments
to be the Word of God and the perfect doctrine of salvation,
rejecting all contrary beliefs?

Yes, truly, with all my heart.

Will you be diligent in your study of Holy Scripture and
in your use of the means of grace?
Will you pray for God's people and
lead them by your own example in faithful service and holy living?

I will, and I ask God to help me.

Will you accept the church's order and governance,
submitting to ecclesiastical discipline
should you become delinquent in either life or doctrine?

I will, and I ask God to help me.

Will you be loyal to the witness and work
of the Reformed Church in America,
using all your abilities to further its Christian mission
here and throughout the world?

I will, and I ask God to help me.
The presiding minister shall address the candidates for the office of deacon:
As a deacon, will you faithfully, diligently, and cheerfully
manifest Christ's love and care,
gather and distribute the offerings of God's people,
visit and comfort the distressed,
minister to the poor and needy, and
strive to advance God's reign of justice and peace?
I will, and I ask God to help me.
The presiding minister shall address the candidates for the office of elder:
As elders, will you faithfully, diligently, and cheerfully
study God's Word,
oversee the household of faith,
encourage spiritual growth,
maintain loving discipline, and
provide for the proclamation of the gospel and
the celebration of the sacraments?
I will, and I ask God to help me.

ORDINATION

Those who are to be ordained shall kneel individually before the presiding minister for prayer with the laying on of hands. The great consistory may join in the laying on of hands during the prayer. When all have come forward and are in place, the presiding minister shall say:

Let us pray.
God of grace,
pour out your Holy Spirit,
gentle as a dove, burning as fire,
upon Marilyn
and fill her with grace and power
for this ministry of deacon
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
When the ordinand has received prayer with the laying on of hands, the presiding minister continues:
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the only head of the church,
I declare that Marilyn Sciarrino
is ordained to the Office of Deacon.

Let us pray.
God of grace,
pour out your Holy Spirit,
gentle as a dove, burning as fire,
upon Erik
and fill him with grace and power
for this ministry of elder
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
When the ordinand has received prayer with the laying on of hands, the presiding minister continues:
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the only head of the church,
I declare that Erik Ander
is ordained to the Office of Elder.

INSTALLATION
Elders and deacons of the great consistory extend the right hand of fellowship to the new elders and deacons before returning to their places. All elders and deacons being installed face the congregation. The presiding minister addresses them:
Elders Erik and Susan,
and deacons Marilyn and Rose,
be faithful in performing your duties,
magnify the One who has called you to these high and holy offices,
be zealous for the church of Christ,
hospitable, prudent, upright,
devout, and self-controlled.
Love goodness,
holding always to the mystery of the faith.
The presiding minister addresses the congregation:

Members of New Utrecht Reformed Church,
please rise to affirm your covenant
with the elders and deacons
whom God has given us.

Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ,
do you receive in the name of the Lord,
these deacons and elders
as duly elected and ordained servants of Christ?

We do.

Do you promise to respect them
for the sake of the offices
for which they have been chosen and ordained?

We do.

Do you promise to encourage and pray for them,
to labor together in obedience to the gospel
for the unity, purity, and peace of the church,
the welfare of the whole world, and
the honor of our Lord Jesus Christ?
We do.

Beloved people of God,
receive these deacons and elders as Christ's own servants.
Support them in love, that their work may bear fruit.
In the name and by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ,
I declare that these brothers and sisters
are duly installed deacons and elders in this church.

Thanks be to God.

 

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