ordination

ordination Process of consecrating a person as a minister of religion. In Christian Churches organized along episcopal lines, ordination confirms the ordinand (the individual undergoing the process) as a priest or minister in holy orders. In Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches, the rite of ordination is a sacrament. In Protestant Churches without episcopal organization, ordination is carried out by ministers, ruling elders, or specially selected lay persons. In Christianity, the ban on women as full members of the clergy has persisted in some churches, notably the Roman Catholic Church. During the 20th century, however, many Protestant Churches began to admit women first as deacons and later as priests and ministers. The General Synod of the Church of England agreed that there was no theological objection to women priests in 1975; but the necessary Church legislation was not passed until 1992. The first women priests were ordained in 1994.