More Ordained Christian Women

Are you a woman called to ministry? Are you ready to join Bible-era women like Phoebe, or Christian leader wives like Priscilla, or Junia who serve the Lord in ministry roles? More ordained Christian women are needed to spread revival not seen since the early church.

Women were ordained as deacons for the first 12 centuries of the church. Some noted women deacons were Olympias who died in 408 CE or Radegund who died in 587 CE. She was a Frankish queen who founded an abbey. She was said to have the gift of healing. By the twelfth century, the practice of ordained women as deacon-ministers died out until after the reformation.

Today at Christian Leaders Alliance and other associations and denomination, the practice is returning. Even the Greek Orthodox church, a church as old as the Catholic church has begun ordaining women deacons.

Ordination was a word used in the early church to indicate that local ordained Christian leaders were called, trained, recognized and commissioned. Find out why Christian Leaders Alliance believes in the ordination of women ministers. 

Do you recognize the importance of going through study and recommendation in the ordination process:

  • Ministry training
  • Three local endorsements
  • Commissioning
  • A global directory

The process begins with the completion of a few ministry training classes. Then a deacon-minister ordination class where you learn about ordination and give your endorsements and schedule your ordination. If you need official papers, you can purchase them.

The Calling of More Ordained Christian Women

God calls women to ministry. That ministry could be to women or children. That ministry could be to plant a house church. That ministry could be to fill a minister role benefiting from the covering of the church elders or the covering of the Christian Leaders Alliance.

The Revival Minister Council gives “headship” cover to the men or women deacon ministers in a way appropriate to their local situation. The local church is the primary church authority. The Revival Minister Council is for those kingdom situations that do not fit a local church. An example of this might be a new house church or a minister with disabilities who does her ministry online.

The early church embraced a leadership structure. The early church leadership structure was set up to launch Christians leaders to share the gospel.

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13

In the early church in 110 CE, Pliny tells of two ordained slaves as deacon ministers tortured and likely martyred for the gospel. These slave women served as ministers eighty years after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The role of women in the early church is legendary.

Christianity Today published an article showing how the early church was made up of many women. Here is a brief quote; to read the whole article Click here.

Celsus, a 2nd-century detractor of the faith, once taunted that the church attracted only “the silly and the mean and the stupid, with women and children.” His contemporary, Bishop Cyprian of Carthage, acknowledged in his Testimonia that “Christian maidens were very numerous” and that it was difficult to find Christian husbands for all of them. These comments give us a picture of a church disproportionately populated by women.

Today women are called to be warriors for Christ.

Are you called? Many times, women are not confident in their calling to ministry. Many do not realize the precedent for the role of women in the early church. Many do not realize the early church was a movement made up of a large number of women in both leadership and involvement.

In the 100’s CE, women made up the majority of the early church. Some say as high as two-thirds of the church. Dr. Michael J. Kruger, President and Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte, NC. writes,

It is well established that Christianity was extremely popular with women during this time period. Sociologist Rodney Stark estimates that perhaps 2/3 of the Christianity community during this time period were made up of women. This is the exact opposite of the ratio in the broader Greco-Roman world where women only made up about 1/3 of the population.

This means that women intentionally left the religious systems of the Greco-Roman world with which they were familiar and consciously decided to join the burgeoning Christian movement. No one forced them to do so.  No one made them become Christians.

It is time that called women are launched to lead where God is calling them. More ordained Christian women will be a game changer. Christian Leaders Institute and Christian Leaders Alliance believe that God is sending women to bring revival. We have noticed that more ordained Christian women are appearing everywhere, willing and ready to reach other women and others.

Professor Kruger further writes,

Women pop up all over the place in our earliest Christian sources. They are persecuted by the Roman government, they are hosting churches in their homes, they are caring for the poor and those in prison, they are traveling missionaries, they are wealthy patrons who support the church financially, and much much more. (Was Early Christianity Hostile to Women?)

More Ordained Christian Women Needed

If you sense the calling to ministry as an ordained Christian Woman, get basic free ministry training at Christian Leaders Institute. This training is your first step toward ordination. 

First, you will take a free Getting Started Scholar Orientation class. After you complete this class, you will automatically be enrolled in the Christian Leaders Connection Class (3 Credits). Then, you will need to take the Christian Basics (3 Credits) and Ministry 101 (3 Credits) classes.

Christian Leaders Connection (3 Credits)

This ministry training class connects you to a deeper walk with God, your ministry dream, and a mentor.

Christian Basics (3 Credits)

This ministry training class goes over the timeless Christian doctrines that are found in the Bible. This class taught by Dr. David Feddes utilizes the materials of Dr. Ed Roels. If you are highly knowledgeable in Christian teachings, there is a comprehensive test you can take to get the three credits immediately.

Ministry 101 (3 Credits)

This ministry training class focuses on your calling to ministry, and the role ministry training has in that calling. You learn fundamental leadership insights with Dr. Bruce Ballast and self-assessment tools with Dr. Ron Carter.

Total for the three classes is nine credits.

The Deacon Ministry Award and Ordained Minister Credentialling

After you complete those classes, you receive the Deacon Ministry Award at Christian Leaders Institute. This award indicates that you have the essential training to be ordained as a Deacon Minister.

You now have the opportunity to enroll in the Deacon Minister Ordination class. This ordination class is a Christian Leaders Alliance function at Christian Leaders Institute. This Deacon Minister Ordination class will do the following:

  • Give you more specific instructions about the Biblical office of an ordained deacon minister.
  • Discuss the inclusion of women as deacon ministers in the early church. See CLA position on Women in Office
  • Give you the opportunity to gather three recommendations from your community of faith. These recommendations give evidence that people acknowledge the calling on your life, your sincere walk with God, and your readiness to serve as an ordained leader. Christian Leaders Alliance has Mentor Ministers to help you if you need them.

The Deacon Ministry Award and the Deacon Minister Ordination class help establish that you are a called, trained, and recognized Ordained Minister. 

You have just completed a very important process on the road to local ordination with the Christian Leaders Alliance.

Deacon Minister Ordination Commissioning

After you complete this calling assessment, ministry training, Christian Leaders Alliance recognition journey, now it is time for commissioning as an ordained deacon minister.

You may say this was a lot of effort. You are right. The Bible says that we should not be hasty in the laying on of hands.

Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. 1 Timothy 5:22

Many people are ordering their ordination certificates online. This hasty manner of being publicly recognized as ordained is dangerous. Read Online Ordination Scams. 

After you have completed all the steps as mentioned above, it is now the time for the laying on of hands.

What does that mean? The laying on of hands means:

  • Prayed over and empowered by God for greater ministry service.
  • Other Christians see your calling and life journey as a Christian leader.
  • Other Christian leaders commend and endorse you. They see that you are set aside for greater ministry responsibility.
  • The world recognizes you as one who is called a “minister.” You will be recognized on the Christian Leaders Alliance global directory.

In many ways, the laying on of hands empowers you to begin your deepening journey as an ordained Christian leader. Why stop at the basics?

Christian Leaders Alliance offers official credentials if you want to order them for a small administration fee.

Soar Into Many Ordained Minister Roles

After your ordination as a Deacon Minister, do you want to go further in your training?  Maybe there is a specific area of ministry to which you are called.

Christian Leaders Alliance provides specific ordained roles in ministry specialty areas. Christian Leaders Institute offers many programs of study; including apprentice, basic, intermediate, and advanced mission credentials. Also, collegiate credentials are provided through Christian Leaders College.

Since our list of specialty areas is ever expanding, click here to see the ordained ministry roles Christian Leaders Alliance is now offering.

After you complete more programs of study at Christian Leaders Institute, you assume even greater recognition of your readiness to serve God and minister to your community.

You are welcome to take specialized Minister Role Classes. However, there is no need for you to be ordained again. You already are ordained. Now you will be considered an ordained minister in a specific area. You will be able to order updated official credentials if you want them.

Christian Leaders Alliance has ministry roles that are available to you after you become ordained as a Deacon Minister.

Christian Leaders Alliance Ordained Minister roles: 

Each of these roles has a program of study. As you complete the programs of study and complete the ministry role class, your new role will be recognized at the Christian Leaders Alliance directory.