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89-510: Reminiscing early Baptist Christianity's acceptance of the bishopric being synonymous with the pastorate within congregationalist tenets per the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith (as Baptists originated in 1609 from the Church of England , which schismed with the Roman Church —both upholding the historic episcopacy ), Full Gospel Baptists developed a presbyteral - episcopal polity not found in

178-707: A Festival Day . In the New Testament the laying on of hands was associated with the receiving of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 8:14–19 ). Initially the Apostles laid hands on new believers as well as believers (see Acts 6:5–6 ). The New Testament also associates the laying on of hands with the conferral of authority or designation of a person to a position of responsibility. (See Acts 6:6 , Acts 13:3 ; and 1 Timothy 4:14 . Also possibly Acts 14:23 , where "ordained"—Greek: χειροτονήσαντες —may be translated "extended

267-497: A bishop up until the dismissal of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey by Henry VIII . Similarly, the position of Kanclerz in the Polish kingdom was always held by a bishop until the 16th century . In modern times, the principality of Andorra is headed by Co-Princes of Andorra , one of whom is the Bishop of Urgell and the other, the sitting President of France , an arrangement that began with

356-793: A council or college of ordained presbyters ( πρεσβύτεροι , 'elders'). In Acts 11:30 and Acts 15:22, a collegiate system of government in Jerusalem is chaired by James the Just , according to tradition the first bishop of the city . In Acts 14:23, the Apostle Paul ordains presbyters in churches in Anatolia . The word presbyter was not yet distinguished from overseer ( ἐπίσκοπος , episkopos , later used exclusively to mean bishop ), as in Acts 20:17, Titus 1:5–7 and 1 Peter 5:1. The earliest writings of

445-468: A direct historical lineage dating back to the original Twelve Apostles or Saint Paul . The bishops are by doctrine understood as those who possess the full priesthood given by Jesus Christ , and therefore may ordain other clergy, including other bishops. A person ordained as a deacon , priest (i.e. presbyter ), and then bishop is understood to hold the fullness of the ministerial priesthood, given responsibility by Christ to govern, teach and sanctify

534-461: A laity, and then selects three to be forwarded to the Holy See . In Europe, some cathedral chapters have duties to elect bishops. The Eastern Catholic churches generally elect their own bishops. Most Eastern Orthodox churches allow varying amounts of formalised laity or lower clergy influence on the choice of bishops. This also applies in those Eastern churches which are in union with the pope, though it

623-653: A majority vote of the General Conference which meets every four years." In the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States, bishops are administrative superintendents of the church; they are elected by "delegate" votes for as many years deemed until the age of 74, then the bishop must retire. Among their duties, are responsibility for appointing clergy to serve local churches as pastor, for performing ordinations, and for safeguarding

712-639: A term of six years, which can be renewed, depending upon the local synod's "constitution" (which is mirrored on either the ELCA or ELCIC's national constitution). Since the implementation of concordats between the ELCA and the Episcopal Church of the United States and the ELCIC and the Anglican Church of Canada , all bishops, including the presiding bishop (ELCA) or the national bishop (ELCIC), have been consecrated using

801-467: A variety of other church sacraments and holy ceremonies. The laying on of hands was an action referred to on numerous occasions in the Hebrew Bible to accompany the conferring of a blessing or authority. Moses ordained Joshua through semikhah —i.e. by the laying on of hands: Num 27:15–23 , Deut 34:9 . The Bible adds that Joshua was thereby "filled with the spirit of wisdom". Moses also ordained

890-514: A vision for the denomination, though they have no legislative authority of their own. In all of these areas, bishops of the United Methodist Church function very much in the historic meaning of the term. According to the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church , a bishop's responsibilities are: Leadership.—Spiritual and Temporal — Laying on of hands The laying on of hands

979-450: Is a religious practice. In Judaism semikhah ( Hebrew : סמיכה , "leaning [of the hands]") accompanies the conferring of a blessing or authority. In Christian churches , chirotony is used as both a symbolic and formal method of invoking the Holy Spirit primarily during baptisms and confirmations, healing services , blessings , and ordination of priests , ministers , elders , deacons , and other church officers, along with

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1068-401: Is also performed at the end of the sacrament of unction . In Evangelical Christianity , the laying on of hands takes place for pastoral ordination . In few Baptist churches, the laying on of hands rarely takes place after a believer's baptism although this is traditional to some sects and not practiced as a Biblical command nor example. This is one of the two points which was added in

1157-509: Is at variance with Catholic understanding of Christian teaching, and have contributed to the reaffirmation of Catholic rejection of Anglican ordinations. The Eastern Orthodox Churches do not accept the validity of any ordinations performed by the Independent Catholic groups, as Eastern Orthodoxy considers to be spurious any consecration outside the church as a whole. Eastern Orthodoxy considers apostolic succession to exist only within

1246-487: Is done immediately after baptism , and thus the priest is the one who confirms, using chrism blessed by a bishop. Bishops in all of these communions are ordained by other bishops through the laying on of hands. Ordination of a bishop, and thus continuation of apostolic succession, takes place through a ritual centred on the imposition of hands and prayer . Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Old Catholic and some Lutheran bishops claim to be part of

1335-416: Is necessary. The practice of only one bishop ordaining was normal in countries where the church was persecuted under Communist rule. The title of archbishop or metropolitan may be granted to a senior bishop, usually one who is in charge of a large ecclesiastical jurisdiction. He may, or may not, have provincial oversight of suffragan bishops and may possibly have auxiliary bishops assisting him. Apart from

1424-658: Is required that he give assent. The pope, in addition to being the Bishop of Rome and spiritual head of the Catholic Church, is also the Patriarch of the Latin Church. Each bishop within the Latin Church is answerable directly to the Pope and not any other bishop except to metropolitans in certain oversight instances. The pope previously used the title Patriarch of the West , but this title

1513-591: Is that of the "Spiritum primatus sacerdotii habere potestatem dimittere peccata" : the primate of sacrificial priesthood and the power to forgive sins. The efficient organization of the Roman Empire became the template for the organisation of the church in the 4th century , particularly after Constantine's Edict of Milan . As the church moved from the shadows of privacy into the public forum it acquired land for churches, burials and clergy . In 391, Theodosius I decreed that any land that had been confiscated from

1602-661: Is the ordinary minister of the sacrament of confirmation in the Latin Church, and in the Old Catholic communion only a bishop may administer this sacrament. In the Lutheran and Anglican churches, the bishop normatively administers the rite of confirmation, although in those denominations that do not have an episcopal polity, confirmation is administered by the priest. However, in the Byzantine and other Eastern rites, whether Eastern or Oriental Orthodox or Eastern Catholic , chrismation

1691-542: Is the ordination and appointment of clergy to serve local churches as pastor, presiding at sessions of the Annual, Jurisdictional, and General Conferences, providing pastoral ministry for the clergy under their charge, and safeguarding the doctrine and discipline of the church. Furthermore, individual bishops, or the Council of Bishops as a whole, often serve a prophetic role, making statements on important social issues and setting forth

1780-411: The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith in 1742. Southern Baptist Christians employ the laying on of hands during the ordination of clergymen ( such as deacons, assistant, and senior pastors ) as well as situations of calling for divine healing . Pentecostal Christians practice the laying on of hands as part of prayer for divine healing ( faith healing ) and the anointing of the sick. Members of

1869-471: The 5th century , and Pope Gregory I in the 6th century . Both of these men were statesmen and public administrators in addition to their role as Christian pastors, teachers and leaders. In the Eastern churches , latifundia entailed to a bishop's see were much less common, the state power did not collapse the way it did in the West, and thus the tendency of bishops acquiring civil power was much weaker than in

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1958-819: The Apostolic Fathers , the Didache and the First Epistle of Clement , for example, show the church used two terms for local church offices—presbyters (seen by many as an interchangeable term with episkopos or overseer) and deacon. In the First epistle to Timothy and Epistle to Titus in the New Testament a more clearly defined episcopate can be seen. Both letters state that Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus and Titus in Crete to oversee

2047-517: The Body of Christ (the Church). Priests, deacons and lay ministers co-operate and assist their bishops in pastoral ministry. Some Pentecostal and other Protestant denominations have bishops who oversee congregations, though they do not necessarily claim apostolic succession. The English word bishop derives, via Latin episcopus , Old English biscop , and Middle English bisshop , from

2136-452: The Far East —are much larger and more populous. As well as traditional diocesan bishops, many churches have a well-developed structure of church leadership that involves a number of layers of authority and responsibility. In Catholicism , Eastern Orthodoxy , Oriental Orthodoxy , High Church Lutheranism , and Anglicanism , only a bishop can ordain other bishops, priests, and deacons. In

2225-608: The Global United Fellowship after resigning and losing the election to succeed Morton. Like most Baptist denominations, Full Gospel Baptists uphold believer's baptism by full immersion ; soul competency ; sola fide ; and congregational autonomy . However, in addition to traditional Baptist doctrine, the fellowship also believes in Pentecostal-Charismatic doctrines such as speaking in tongues , laying on of hands , divine healing , and prophecy . Likewise,

2314-637: The Greek word ἐπίσκοπος , epískopos , meaning "overseer" or "supervisor". Greek was the language of the early Christian church, but the term epískopos did not originate in Christianity: it had been used in Greek for several centuries before the advent of Christianity. The English words priest and presbyter both derive, via Latin, from the Greek word πρεσβύτερος , presbýteros , meaning "elder" or "senior", and not originally referring to priesthood. In

2403-776: The Independent Anglican churches , and certain other, smaller, denominations. The traditional role of a bishop is as pastor of a diocese (also called a bishopric, synod , eparchy or see), and so to serve as a "diocesan bishop", or "eparch" as it is called in many Eastern Christian churches. Dioceses vary considerably in size, geographically and population-wise. Some dioceses around the Mediterranean Sea which were Christianised early are rather compact, whereas dioceses in areas of rapid modern growth in Christian commitment—as in some parts of Sub-Saharan Africa , South America and

2492-666: The Paréage of Andorra (1278) , and was ratified in the 1993 constitution of Andorra. The office of the Papacy is inherently held by the sitting Roman Catholic Bishop of Rome. Though not originally intended to hold temporal authority, since the Middle Ages the power of the Papacy gradually expanded deep into the secular realm and for centuries the sitting Bishop of Rome was the most powerful governmental office in Central Italy. In modern times,

2581-591: The Patriarchate and Sanhedrin . Laying on of hands can also refer to the practice of laying hands over one's sacrificial animal ( sin-offering ), before it was slaughtered, based on a teaching in Leviticus 4:24: "And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat." In Pseudo Jonathan 's Aramaic translation of the Pentateuch , the translator of the verse explains its sense: "And he shall lay his right hand with force on

2670-641: The Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro from 1516 to 1852, assisted by a secular guvernadur . More recently, Archbishop Makarios III of Cyprus , served as President of the Cyprus from 1960 to 1977, an extremely turbulent time period on the island. In 2001, Peter Hollingworth , AC , OBE – then the Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane – was controversially appointed Governor-General of Australia . Although Hollingworth gave up his episcopal position to accept

2759-586: The Roman Catholic Church , the laying on of hands has been and continues to be used in some of the rites for the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church . First, it is the essential gesture (or "matter") for the Sacrament of Holy Orders (diaconate, priesthood, and episcopacy). Second, it accompanies the anointing with Sacred Chrism in the Sacrament of Confirmation . Third, it is part of the ritual for

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2848-399: The local church . Paul commands Titus to ordain presbyters/bishops and to exercise general oversight. Early sources are unclear but various groups of Christian communities may have had the bishop surrounded by a group or college functioning as leaders of the local churches. Eventually the head or "monarchic" bishop came to rule more clearly, and all local churches would eventually follow

2937-536: The ordained elders (presbyters) by vote of the delegates in regional (called jurisdictional) conferences, and are consecrated by the other bishops present at the conference through the laying on of hands. In the United Methodist Church bishops remain members of the "Order of Elders" while being consecrated to the " Office of the Episcopacy ". Within the United Methodist Church only bishops are empowered to consecrate bishops and ordain clergy. Among their most critical duties

3026-717: The "chief pastor" of the local synod, upholding the teachings of Martin Luther as well as the documentations of the Ninety-Five Theses and the Augsburg Confession . Unlike their counterparts in the United Methodist Church , ELCA and ELCIC synod bishops do not appoint pastors to local congregations (pastors, like their counterparts in the Episcopal Church, are called by local congregations). The presiding bishop of

3115-591: The 70 elders ( Num 11:16–25 ). The elders later ordained their successors in this way. Their successors in turn ordained others. This chain of hands-on semikhah continued through the time of the Second Temple , to an undetermined time. The exact date that the original semikhah succession ended is not certain. Many medieval authorities believed that this occurred during the reign of Hillel II, circa 360 CE. However, it seems to have continued at least until 425 CE when Theodosius II executed Gamaliel VI and suppressed

3204-604: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe the restoration of Christ's priesthood came about by the laying on of hands by the resurrected John the Baptist to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in 1829, and laying on of hands is seen as a necessary part of Confirmation. Latter-day Saints lay on hands when ordaining members to to the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods and when setting members apart to serve in other positions in

3293-599: The Daughters of the Promise, or Full Gospel International Women's Fellowship. Embracing a mixture of congregationalist , presbyterian , and episcopal polity , Full Gospel Baptists as a collective are governed by the Full Gospel Baptist Council of Bishops. The presiding bishop is the head clerical and executive leader of the fellowship, exercising authority along with other episcopates to provide administration. Within

3382-466: The ELCA and the national bishop of the ELCIC, the national bishops of their respective bodies, are elected for a single 6-year term and may be elected to an additional term. Although ELCA agreed with the Episcopal Church to limit ordination to the bishop "ordinarily", ELCA pastor- ordinators are given permission to perform the rites in "extraordinary" circumstance. In practice, "extraordinary" circumstance have included disagreeing with Episcopalian views of

3471-659: The East churches. Some provinces of the Anglican Communion have begun ordaining women as bishops in recent decades – for example, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Cuba. The first woman to be consecrated a bishop within Anglicanism was Barbara Harris , who was ordained in the United States in 1989. In 2006, Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Episcopal Bishop of Nevada , became

3560-526: The Eastern liturgical tradition, a priest can celebrate the Divine Liturgy only with the blessing of a bishop. In Byzantine usage, an antimension signed by the bishop is kept on the altar partly as a reminder of whose altar it is and under whose omophorion the priest at a local parish is serving. In Syriac Church usage, a consecrated wooden block called a thabilitho is kept for the same reasons. The bishop

3649-570: The English Reformation. Since in the primitive church the offices of presbyter and episkopos were not clearly distinguished, many Puritans held that this was the only form of government the church should have. The Anglican divine, Richard Hooker , objected to this claim in his famous work Of the Laws of Ecclesiastic Polity while, at the same time, defending Presbyterian ordination as valid (in particular Calvin's ordination of Beza ). This

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3738-731: The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship is led by Bishop Joseph W. Walker III, of Nashville, Tennessee as the Full Gospel Presiding Bishop, who was appointed to succeed Bishop Morton upon his retirement. The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship was established by Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr. in 1994 within New Orleans , Louisiana , though it began as a movement within the National Baptist Convention, USA in 1992. From 25,000 to 30,000 attended

3827-456: The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship places special emphasis on practicing holiness , or Christian sanctification ; overall, their theological distinctives tend to merge with the separate Protestant tradition of Wesleyan-Arminian theology . Full Gospel Baptists ordain and consecrate a significant number of female pastors and bishops as well, although the majority of their clergy is still male. Its women clergy operate an organization called

3916-622: The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, its bishops claim apostolic succession through Bishop Morton's consecrator, the excommunicated Roman Catholic George Augustus Stallings . Stallings consecrated Morton in March 1993. Relieved of religious duties within the Roman Catholic Church, the concept of " valid but illicit " ordinations guaranteed Stallings episcopacy remaining valid to whoever recognized it as such. Apostolic succession though, according to Roman and Anglican churches however, effects

4005-519: The Holy See, hoping to continue in some sacramental role. In those instances where the pope does grant reconciliation, those deemed to be clerics within the Independent Old Catholic movement are invariably admitted as laity and not priests or bishops. There is a mutual recognition of the validity of orders amongst Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Old Catholic, Oriental Orthodox and Assyrian Church of

4094-615: The Isle of Man . In the past, the Bishop of Durham had extensive vice-regal powers within his northern diocese, which was a county palatine , the County Palatine of Durham , (previously, Liberty of Durham ) of which he was ex officio the earl . In the 19th century, a gradual process of reform was enacted, with the majority of the bishop's historic powers vested in The Crown by 1858. Eastern Orthodox bishops, along with all other members of

4183-589: The National Baptist Convention, USA following the controversies among traditional black Baptists. Attracting some of the largest churches by membership from the oldest black Baptist denomination—the NBC USA— New Birth Missionary Baptist Church became a notable affiliate before leaving the fellowship during Bishop Eddie Long 's pastoral tenure after multiple controversies surrounding their leadership at New Birth. Eddie Long

4272-413: The Pope is also the sovereign Prince of Vatican City , an internationally recognized micro-state located entirely within the city of Rome. In France , prior to the Revolution , representatives of the clergy — in practice, bishops and abbots of the largest monasteries — comprised the First Estate of the Estates-General . This role was abolished after separation of Church and State

4361-420: The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick , taken after the command in the Epistle of James : "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord" (James 5:14 ESV). In Eastern Christianity , laying on of hands is used for the ordination (called cheirotonia ) of the higher clergy (bishops, priests and deacons), and

4450-414: The Universal Church, and not through any authority held by individual bishops; thus, if a bishop ordains someone to serve outside the (Eastern Orthodox) Church, the ceremony is ineffectual, and no ordination has taken place regardless of the ritual used or the ordaining prelate's position within the Eastern Orthodox Churches. The position of the Catholic Church is slightly different. Whilst it does recognise

4539-406: The West. However, the role of Western bishops as civil authorities, often called prince bishops , continued throughout much of the Middle Ages . As well as being Archchancellors of the Holy Roman Empire after the 9th century, bishops generally served as chancellors to medieval monarchs, acting as head of the justiciary and chief chaplain . The Lord Chancellor of England was almost always

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4628-401: The apostolic succession in lines stemming from the original apostles. The New Westminster Dictionary of Church History states that "In Sweden the apostolic succession was preserved because the Catholic bishops were allowed to stay in office, but they had to approve changes in the ceremonies." While traditional teaching maintains that any bishop with apostolic succession can validly perform

4717-451: The appointment, it still attracted considerable opposition in a country which maintains a formal separation between Church and State . During the period of the English Civil War , the role of bishops as wielders of political power and as upholders of the established church became a matter of heated political controversy. Presbyterianism was the polity of most Reformed Christianity in Europe, and had been favored by many in England since

4806-447: The bishop into compliance. Other contemporary Christian writers do not describe monarchial bishops, either continuing to equate them with the presbyters or speaking of episkopoi (bishops, plural) in a city. Clement of Alexandria (end of the 2nd century) writes about the ordination of a certain Zachæus as bishop by the imposition of Simon Peter Bar-Jonah's hands. The words bishop and ordination are used in their technical meaning by

4895-415: The bull Apostolicae curae in 1896, the Catholic Church has insisted that Anglican orders are invalid because of the Reformed changes in the Anglican ordination rites of the 16th century and divergence in understanding of the theology of priesthood, episcopacy and Eucharist. However, since the 1930s, Utrecht Old Catholic bishops (recognised by the Holy See as validly ordained) have sometimes taken part in

4984-415: The church by Roman authorities be returned. The most usual term for the geographic area of a bishop's authority and ministry, the diocese , began as part of the structure of the Roman Empire under Diocletian . As Roman authority began to fail in the western portion of the empire , the church took over much of the civil administration. This can be clearly seen in the ministry of two popes : Pope Leo I in

5073-418: The church. When asked by a member who is ill, two elders of the Church anoint the sick member's head with consecrated olive oil and then lay hands upon their head and as guided by the Holy Spirit, bless them. The San peoples of Southern Africa use the laying on of hands as a healing practice . As described by professor Richard Katz, the healers of the !Kung people lay their hands on a sick person to draw

5162-444: The clergy, are canonically forbidden to hold political office. Occasional exceptions to this rule are tolerated when the alternative is political chaos. In the Ottoman Empire , the Patriarch of Constantinople , for example, had de facto administrative, cultural and legal jurisdiction, as well as spiritual authority, over all Eastern Orthodox Christians of the empire, as part of the Ottoman millet system. An Orthodox bishop headed

5251-495: The continuous sequence of ordained bishops since the days of the apostles referred to as apostolic succession. In Scandinavia and the Baltic region, Lutheran churches participating in the Porvoo Communion (those of Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania), as well as many non-Porvoo membership Lutheran churches (including those of Kenya, Latvia, and Russia), as well as the confessional Communion of Nordic Lutheran Dioceses , believe that they ordain their bishops in

5340-549: The core tenets of Christianity; this is the case even though the clergy of the Independent Catholic groups may use the proper ordination ritual. There are also other reasons why the Holy See does not recognise the validity of the orders of the Independent clergy: Whilst members of the Independent Catholic movement take seriously the issue of valid orders, it is highly significant that the relevant Vatican Congregations tend not to respond to petitions from Independent Catholic bishops and clergy who seek to be received into communion with

5429-444: The doctrine and discipline of the church. The General Conference, a meeting every four years, has an equal number of clergy and lay delegates. In each Annual Conference, CME bishops serve for four-year terms. CME Church bishops may be male or female. In the United Methodist Church (the largest branch of Methodism in the world) bishops serve as administrative and pastoral superintendents of the church. They are elected for life from among

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5518-407: The early Christian era the two terms were not always clearly distinguished, but epískopos is used in the sense of the order or office of bishop, distinct from that of presbýteros , in the writings attributed to Ignatius of Antioch in the second century. The earliest organization of the Church in Jerusalem was, according to most scholars, similar to that of Jewish synagogues , but it had

5607-433: The episcopate, and as a result, ELCA pastors ordained by other pastors are not permitted to be deployed to Episcopal Churches (they can, however, serve in Presbyterian Church USA , United Methodist Church, Reformed Church in America , and Moravian Church congregations, as the ELCA is in full communion with these denominations). The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS),

5696-455: The example of the other churches and structure themselves after the model of the others with the one bishop in clearer charge, though the role of the body of presbyters remained important. Around the end of the 1st century , the church's organization became clearer in historical documents. In the works of the Apostolic Fathers, and Ignatius of Antioch in particular, the role of the episkopos, or bishop, became more important or, rather, already

5785-430: The fellowship "were lovingly advised to resign their posts with the NBCUSA before they were kicked out." National Baptist leadership feared the movement would develop into a separate denomination, urging members to either remain within the convention or leave; the National Baptist Convention's then-president, Rev. Henry J. Lyons , disapproved of the movement's belief in tongues and divine healing. In 1995, Bishop Morton left

5874-403: The first conference of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship in 1994. Exploring the gifts of the Holy Spirit against traditionally cessationist Baptist pastors and laymen within the National Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention of America , and the Progressive National Baptist Convention , alongside establishing an episcopal Baptist governance, Morton and those affiliated with

5963-460: The first woman to become the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), the largest Lutheran Church bodies in the United States and Canada, respectively, and roughly based on the Nordic Lutheran national churches (similar to that of the Church of England), bishops are elected by Synod Assemblies, consisting of both lay members and clergy, for

6052-447: The governance and administration of dioceses . The role or office of the bishop is called episcopacy . Organizationally, several Christian denominations utilize ecclesiastical structures that call for the position of bishops, while other denominations have dispensed with this office, seeing it as a symbol of power. Bishops have also exercised political authority within their dioceses. Traditionally, bishops claim apostolic succession ,

6141-436: The hand".) The use of the laying on of hands for the ordination of church officers has continued in many branches of Christianity. Laying on of hands is part of Anglican confirmation, anointing of the sick , and other parts of liturgy and pastoral offices. The rubric in the confirmation service requires the bishop to lay only one hand, symbolising that he has less spiritual authority than an apostle who laid both hands. In

6230-462: The head of the goat." According to Philo of Alexandria , the custom of laying on of hands was done in conjunction with a declaration, where the owner of the animal would say: "These hands have not taken a bribe to distort justice, neither have they divided the spoil, etc." According to Jewish tradition , the first dispute in Israel concerned whether or not it was permissible to lay hands upon one's sacrificial animal by applying one's full body weight on

6319-572: The historic black Baptist denominations while maintaining congregationalist distinctives. The FGBCF was reported to have over 10,000 active members in 1993 and 20,000 in 1995; in 1997 it claimed 1 million members and 5,000 churches throughout the United States. As of 2020, they reported having approximately 2 million members; in 2023, Full Gospel Baptists had approximately 10,000 churches. Churches aligned with Full Gospel Baptists may affiliate with other Christian denominations , and aren't required to change their names. Headquartered in Atlanta , Georgia ,

6408-597: The historic succession in line with bishops from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden , with at least one Anglican bishop serving as co-consecrator. Since going into ecumenical communion with their respective Anglican body, bishops in the ELCA or the ELCIC not only approve the "rostering" of all ordained pastors, diaconal ministers, and associates in ministry, but they serve as the principal celebrant of all pastoral ordination and installation ceremonies, diaconal consecration ceremonies, as well as serving as

6497-766: The king's touch began in France with Robert II the Pious , but legend later attributed the practice to Clovis as Merovingian founder of the Holy Roman kingdom, and Edward the Confessor in England. The belief continued to be common throughout the Middle Ages but began to die out with the Enlightenment . Queen Anne was the last British monarch to claim to possess this divine ability, though

6586-545: The ordination conform to other canonical requirements (for example, is an adult male) and an eastern orthodox rite of episcopal ordination, expressing the proper functions and sacramental status of a bishop, is used; this has given rise to the phenomenon of episcopi vagantes (for example, clergy of the Independent Catholic groups which claim apostolic succession, though this claim is rejected by both Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy). With respect to Lutheranism, "the Catholic Church has never officially expressed its judgement on

6675-476: The ordination of Anglican bishops. According to the writer Timothy Dufort, by 1969, all Church of England bishops had acquired Old Catholic lines of apostolic succession recognised by the Holy See. This development has been used to argue that the strain of apostolic succession has been re-introduced into Anglicanism, at least within the Church of England. However, other issues, such as the Anglican ordination of women,

6764-409: The ordination of another bishop, some churches require two or three bishops participate, either to ensure sacramental validity or to conform with church law. Catholic doctrine holds that one bishop can validly ordain another (priest) as a bishop. Though a minimum of three bishops participating is desirable (there are usually several more) in order to demonstrate collegiality, canonically only one bishop

6853-453: The ordination, which is always done by other bishops, there are different methods as to the actual selection of a candidate for ordination as bishop. In the Catholic Church the Congregation for Bishops generally oversees the selection of new bishops with the approval of the pope. The papal nuncio usually solicits names from the bishops of a country, consults with priests and leading members of

6942-414: The power and authority to administer the sacraments except for baptism and matrimony; and it pertains to continuity of the universal teaching, preaching, governing, ordination, and grace. Episcopacy A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity , bishops are normally responsible for

7031-402: The same Clement of Alexandria. The bishops in the 2nd century are defined also as the only clergy to whom the ordination to priesthood ( presbyterate ) and diaconate is entrusted: "a priest (presbyter) lays on hands , but does not ordain ." ( cheirothetei ou cheirotonei ). At the beginning of the 3rd century, Hippolytus of Rome describes another feature of the ministry of a bishop, which

7120-525: The second and third largest Lutheran bodies in the United States and the two largest Confessional Lutheran bodies in North America, do not follow an episcopal form of governance, settling instead on a form of quasi-congregationalism patterned off what they believe to be the practice of the early church. The second largest of the three predecessor bodies of the ELCA, the American Lutheran Church ,

7209-506: The sickness out of them and into the healer in a "difficult, painful" process. A similar practice of laying on of hands is also used in Navajo religious ceremonies. The laying on of hands, known as the royal touch , was performed by kings in England and France , and was believed to cure scrofula (also called "King's Evil" at the time), a name given to a number of skin diseases. The rite of

7298-485: The validity of orders as they have been handed down by episcopal succession in these two national Lutheran churches" (the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland ) though it does "question how the ecclesiastical break in the 16th century has affected the apostolicity of the churches of the Reformation and thus the apostolicity of their ministry". Since Pope Leo XIII issued

7387-554: The validity of the orders of certain groups which separated from communion with Holy See (for instance, the ordinations of the Old Catholics in communion with Utrecht, as well as the Polish National Catholic Church - which received its orders directly from Utrecht, and was until recently part of that communion), Catholicism does not recognise the orders of any group whose teaching is at variance with what they consider

7476-754: Was a congregationalist body, with national and synod presidents before they were re-titled as bishops (borrowing from the Lutheran churches in Germany ) in the 1980s. With regard to ecclesial discipline and oversight, national and synod presidents typically function similarly to bishops in episcopal bodies. In the African Methodist Episcopal Church , "Bishops are the Chief Officers of the Connectional Organization. They are elected for life by

7565-576: Was consecrated a bishop by Paul Morton in the 1994. In 2013, Bishop Morton announced his intent to resign as Presiding Bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. He appointed Bishop Joseph W. Walker III in Nashville, Tennessee as successor. Walker, born in Shreveport, Louisiana and serving as one of the founding fathers of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, assumed presiding office in 2015 and Bishop Neil Ellis schismed through establishing

7654-517: Was dropped from use in 2006, a move which caused some concern within the Eastern Orthodox Communion as, to them, it implied wider papal jurisdiction. The Catholic Church does recognise as valid (though illicit) ordinations done by breakaway Catholic, Old Catholic or Oriental bishops, and groups descended from them; it also regards as both valid and licit those ordinations done by bishops of the Eastern churches, so long as those receiving

7743-758: Was implemented during the French Revolution. In the 21st century, the more senior bishops of the Church of England continue to sit in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , as representatives of the established church , and are known as Lords Spiritual . The Bishop of Sodor and Man , whose diocese lies outside the United Kingdom , is an ex officio member of the Legislative Council of

7832-832: Was the official stance of the English Church until the Commonwealth, during which time, the views of Presbyterians and Independents ( Congregationalists ) were more freely expressed and practiced. Bishops form the leadership in the Catholic Church , the Eastern Orthodox Church , the Oriental Orthodox Churches , certain Lutheran churches, the Anglican Communion , the Independent Catholic churches ,

7921-404: Was very important and being clearly defined. While Ignatius of Antioch offers the earliest clear description of monarchial bishops (a single bishop over all house churches in a city) he is an advocate of monepiscopal structure rather than describing an accepted reality. To the bishops and house churches to which he writes, he offers strategies on how to pressure house churches who do not recognize

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