How Ministerial Ordination Works: Requirements, Process, and What It Means

If you sense a call to ministry, sooner or later you run into the question of ordination. What is it exactly? Who can grant it? What does a legitimate ordination process require, and how is it different from the “instant ordination” websites that promise credentials in five minutes? This guide explains how ministerial ordination works, using the ordination program of Impact Ministries International (IMI) as a concrete example.

What ordination is

Ordination is the formal recognition by a Christian body that a person is called, qualified, and authorized for ministry. It is both spiritual and practical. Spiritually, it is the church affirming what God has already been doing in someone’s life. Practically, ordination credentials allow a minister to officiate weddings and funerals, serve as clergy in institutional settings, and carry recognized standing when working with churches, governments, and communities.

Importantly, ordination does not create a calling; it recognizes one. Every serious ordaining body will tell you the same thing: the ministry comes first, the paper second.

Who grants ordination

There is no single worldwide authority. Denominations ordain their own clergy, and independent ministry organizations ordain ministers who serve outside denominational structures. IMI is an example of the latter: over its history it has ordained about 800 ministers in thirty countries.

Independent ordaining bodies fill a real gap. Many gifted, proven ministers, especially internationally, lack access to denominational credentialing. IMI’s ordination ministry exists specifically to serve gifted people who lack credentials elsewhere, and its ordained ministers serve in countries including Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, Mexico, Haiti, Ukraine, India, the Philippines, and Kenya.

What legitimate ordination requires

Here is where you can separate serious ordaining bodies from credential mills. A legitimate process examines the candidate. IMI’s requirements are a representative example of what to expect:

1. Pass a test. Candidates demonstrate their knowledge of Scripture and doctrine through an examination. An ordaining body that never assesses what you believe is not vouching for anything.
2. Be active in ministry. Ordination recognizes a working ministry, not an aspiration. Candidates must already be serving, preaching, pastoring, evangelizing, or otherwise laboring in the field.
3. Live a holy lifestyle. Character is the heart of the matter. IMI requires that candidates be “currently living a holy lifestyle,” echoing the biblical qualifications for overseers. The word “currently” matters: a testimony of past faithfulness does not substitute for present integrity.
4. Provide two professional recommendations. People who know your ministry firsthand must vouch for you. References protect the ordaining body, the candidate, and everyone the future minister will serve.
5. Pay a modest fee. Legitimate bodies charge enough to cover administration, not enough to make ordination a product. Beware of any organization whose fee structure suggests the credential itself is the business.

The application process, step by step

For IMI, the process is straightforward. Candidates complete the ordination application, either printed or electronic, arrange their reference evaluations, and submit everything to the ordination office by mail or email. IMI’s ordination contact is Pastor Matthew Goers, reachable at matthewgoers@gmail.com or (651) 260-7045, with mail addressed to Impact Ministries International, Attn: Pastor Matthew Goers, 1949 Ide St., Maplewood, MN 55109.

Most established programs, IMI included, also offer several related paths:

• Affiliate applications for ministers already ordained elsewhere who want to join the fellowship.
• Transfer applications for ministers moving their credentials from another body.
• Annual renewal, typically a yearly letter, which keeps credentials current and keeps the relationship between minister and ordaining body alive rather than transactional.

That renewal requirement is worth noticing. An ordination that never has to be renewed is an ordination nobody is standing behind.

What ordination is not

A few honest cautions for anyone exploring this path:

• It is not a shortcut to authority. Credentials open doors; they do not build the ministry behind the door. Bodies like IMI require active ministry precisely because the call must precede the credential.
• It is not a degree. Ordination recognizes calling and character; theological education is a separate (and valuable) pursuit.
• It is not anonymous. You are joining a fellowship that will put its name on yours. Choose an ordaining body whose ministry you respect, because your credential will carry its reputation, and vice versa.

Why join an ordaining fellowship at all?

Beyond the practical authorizations, ordination through a body like IMI connects a minister to something larger: a family of roughly 800 ministers across thirty countries, an annual point of accountability, and a shared mission. IMI’s own invitation captures the spirit of it: “We would be honored to have you join the IMI family. Let’s partner together to impact the world with the glory of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.”

If you are actively serving, walking in integrity, and have people who will vouch for your ministry, ordination may be the right next step. Start by requesting the application, praying over the decision with your church community, and reaching out to the ordination office with your questions.