Should Ordination Be Considered a Sacrament in the Seventh-day Adventist Church? An Evaluation in the Light of the Biblical Data

While Catholic theology places importance on the sacramental nature of ordination, Protestants have generally rejected the idea. This paper examines whether a biblical case can be made for ordination to be considered a sacrament. It notes that for ordination to be a sacrament it must have obvious symbolism, convey grace, be instituted by Christ, and convey a mark or seal that distinguishes between laity and clergy. The paper concludes that while laying on of hands is clearly symbolic, there is no other biblical evidence to support ordination as a sacrament