The majority of Christians have probably never seen an ordina- tion, yet most Christians are served by ordained men and women. In some churches, only bishops perform ordinations, and ministers
and priests may rarely be present at an ordination other than their own. Yet nowhere else does the church make so explicit its under standing of the purpose of the church and its ministry. Even though ordination is a rite of passage reserved for the tiny minority of Christians who enter ordained ministry, it ought to be better understood by all Christians