“Tucked away within the 2001 statement of the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation (IALC), entitled Anglican Ordination Rites, The Berkeley Statement: “To Equip the Saints“, is a short recommendation that could radically reorientate Anglican understandings of the three-fold ministry. The brief paragraph with the heading “Direct Ordination“ states:
"Because the three orders are viewed as distinct ministries, direct ordination to the presbyterate, and even the possibility of direct ordination to the episcopate, are being advocated by some in the Anglican Communion. There is a historical precedent for both sequential and direct ordination. In the pre-Nicene church, direct ordination was commonly practised, and sequential ordination did not become universal until the eleventh century. Provinces may therefore wish to consider the possibility of direct ordination to the episcopate and to the presbyterate."“ - extract from the Introduction
This booklet provides a historical overview of ordination practices from the pre-Nicene period to the present day. Gibaut asks challenging questions before concluding with the hope that the history of sequential ordination will play a part in the Anglican Church“s deliberations.
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