Brothers and Sisters, Please allow me to introduce my self, I am, Bishop Andrew R. M. Manley and I have a few thoughts of my own for this topic and question and so I regress. Although I am new to your forum, I am not new to the word of God. So with that said here’s my opinion on this subject, and yet I will only clip the tip of this question with my response.
Part of what is wrong with the “church” today is that it is so traditional and bogged down with each of it’s own bureaucracy that it takes years to make a decision. Unless the issue is the almighty dollar.
As an example I refer to the Vatican being extremely quick to displace several thousands of loyal Catholic worshipers by a forced, no bending policy and deadline to close many churches down and start selling them off to other faiths here in Northeast Ohio. And yes, there are a few appeals that have been sent along with petitions to try and stop this. Even when it is proven that some of these community churches can stand on their own merit as presented on their fiscal spread sheets.
However, that latter part is not so disturbing. It is within their power to do what ever they want. For them to say on one hand, we need more Priests in the ministry. And then displace thousands, isn’t the best business strategy to use under the circumstances. It’s like I said folks, there have been families that have been associated with the same congregation and church for four or five decades or even longer.
The process should be simple for if you feel that you are being called into the Saviors service, than all you need to do is personally or in secret, acknowledge and claim your faith is based on His teachings. Then by all means start ministering. I refer my remarks here to, and I am sure most of you know it, and that is the Gospel according to John: ch. 15, verse 16. (“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and “ordained you” that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”)…There are several more that back this up and I am a firm believer that we need to expedite the process as quickly as possible.
If for nothing else it is because there is so much that has to be done throughout the world, where I hear Christian and non-Christians clamoring for more of the Fathers teachings. If we were to wait for a formal process of traditionalism to play out, I feel it would be to late.
So I ask you, which do you think Christ would want you to do? Then and only then, when you are absolutely sure make your decision based on the council of Him and not mankind. For their will be a time for a formal ordination in the future, but you all probably know this already.
Oh, yes, I could have just typed John, ch. 15, verse. 16 and left it at that. But a forum is to bring ideas together and cause one to look deep inside themselves for answers. And those answers would be the soft awareness of the Holy Spirit trying to lead you down the path that Father wants for you. Yet, the choice is always yours. I am also pretty sure that another verse should go here and it is Matthew ch. 22, verse 14. ( “Many are called, but few are chosen.” ). So I ask one final question of you and that being, why not answer the call. For you and only you will know that it is God calling you out…
No matter what you decide to do I will pray that all who read this are blessed and that one should answer the call, for it most likely will be our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the other end…
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Bishop Andrew
God grant him many years!