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Community of Christ recognizes that all are called by their gifts and talents to ministry. Priesthood is seen as a particular expression of universal ministry to which all are called. In Community of Christ, both women and men can be ordained to the priesthood. All offices are deemed equal in importance, but the duties and responsibilities of each differ.

For a person to be called to the priesthood for the first time, his or her calling is typically discerned by the pastor of the local congregation. These priesthood calls are approved after review by a Mission Center President and vote of a congregational conference. For certain calls, especially to higher offices of the priesthood, the discernment will come through other church officials and approval will be voted upon at a Mission Center Conference or World Conference. Once the call has been administratively processed it is presented to the individual called. If that individual accepts the call and is sustained by a conference vote, he or she will be ordained to that office.

Overview

The priesthood is comprised of two primary orders, the Aaronic Order and the Melchisedec Order, although these terms are used less frequently than in prior years. The Aaronic priesthood includes the offices of Deacon, Teacher and Priest.

The Melchisedec Order includes the offices of Elder, Seventy, High Priest, Bishop, Apostle and Prophet. Elders serve in both missionary and administrative roles. Congregational pastors often hold the priesthood office of Elder, however, they may be "set apart" as a congregational pastor from almost any priesthood office.

High Priests are known today as "ministers of vision" and collectively comprise the "High Priesthood" of the church. The Evangelist, Bishop, Apostle and Prophet are specialized priesthood offices within the High Priesthood.

The names of the priesthood offices in the Community of Christ are similar to those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which it shares a common 14-year history. However, numerous differences in belief about the duties, calling, authority and organization of priesthood have developed as the two denominations have taken divergent paths since 1844.

Priesthood Offices

In the Community of Christ the priesthood consists of two priesthoods, the Aaronic Order and the Melchisedec Order. The Aaronic Ministers are seen as ministers of presence, the Melchisedec Ministers as ministers of mission and vision.

Aaronic Order

The Aaronic Order consists of three priesthood offices. These offices are deacon, teacher, and priest. They hold the "key" to angelic ministry. The ministers of the Aaronic Order are seen as ministers of presence.

Deacon

A deacon models Jesus as comforter. Part of the ministry of deacons is to watch over the church, visit the homes of members, to teach and preach, care for the physical and social well-being of the church, and to teach and advise people regarding the principles of Disciples' Generous Response. A deacon cares for members and friends in the temporal aspects of life. Deacons are to be sensitive to the spiritual, physical, and temporal needs of all individuals and families.

Teacher

The teacher models Jesus as peacemaker. Teachers are called to strengthen the membership, see that the church meets often, preach and teach, reconcile those who have taken offense either at another person or the church, and lead people into paths of discipleship. A key attribute of a teacher is the ability to create friendship and to have knowledge of the families within a congregation. A teacher is a shepherd, one who recognizes the life problems that the members face each day. A teacher's relationship with others is one of redemptive love and concern. Teachers are regarded as ministers of reconciliation with special responsibilities to share spiritual counsel and encouragement to members who are experiencing personal conflicts, however, they are not typically professional counselors or certified mediation specialists.

Priest

A priest models Jesus as friend. Priests minister to families, preach and teach. They can also perform the Sacrament of Baptism, Administer the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and Solemize and perform the Sacrament of Marriage. They may also perform the sacrament of Ordination for those called to the office of deacon, teacher, or priest. They share with the elders the responsibility to explain all things concerning the church to those who have been baptized but yet to be confirmed.

Melchisedec Order

The Melchisedec Order consists of two main offices and several specialized offices within them. The offices are Elder and High Priest. At times elder is used to refer to all who are of the Melchisedec Order.

Elder

Elders are ministers of mission. Their ministry expresses the mission of the church. While their ministry is direct and tangible it also expresses the deep spiritiual ministry of the gospel. The ministers are called to bring people to Christ and baptize those who are ready to commit their lives to Christ. They may ordain people to the offices of the Aaronic Order and to the office of Elder. The also can perfom/administer the other sacraments of the church, except for the Sacrament of the Evangelist's Blessing. Elders are called to teach and preach and watch over the church and to visit the homes of members. They may be called to serve in an elder's court.

Seventy

The priesthood office of Seventy, which alludes to the New Testament account of Jesus commission of seventy missionaries, is also considered to be an Elder. Part of function of the Seventy is a missionary role and they work closely with the Apostle in charge of the field they are in to develop the strategies and resources to implement the missionary task of the church. They are organized into seven quorums, each quorum is presided over by a president. These presidents make up the Council of Presidents of Seventy, and are collectively led by the "President of the Presidents of Seventy" who is one of the principal missionaries and missionary education leaders of the church.

High Priest

High Priests are regarded as "ministers of vision." They can be called to serve in any of the offices of the priesthood and there are several specialized callings within this office. Collectively the High Priests are the Quorum of the High Priests. It is desired that the pastor or presiding officer of a large well established congregation is a High Priest.

Bishop

A Bishop is a High Priest ordained for special ministry. The Order of Bishops or Bishopric guide the church in teaching the principles of Disciples' Generous Response along with the larger understanding of stewardship. They are lead by the Presiding Bishopric in providing support, training, and advocacy in empowering Aaronic ministers to respond to their call of ministry. The Presiding Bishop and two counselors who preside of the Order and are also the Presidents of the Aaronic Order. They also serve as judges in church court proceedings.

Evangelist

An Evangelist is a High Priest ordained for special ministries in evangelism and spiritual direction. The "Order of Evangelists" is presided over by the Presiding Evangelist and they are referred to as "ministers of blessing." These High Priests that have been called to this order are ideally free of administrative responsibilities and are to be responsive to the reconciling and redeeming influence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of all. They give parental counsel and advice to the church and confer spiritual blessings. The Evangelist is available to offer a sacred blessing which can assist persons to recognize and touch the divine nature of God that resides within them. By responding to this divine presence, it nurtures and assures persons of their identity and ultimate and eternal worth before God. This blessing is recorded in writing and stored in the archives of the church at its World Headquarters in Independence, Missouri. The Evangelist's Blessing is founded upon a prior practice known as the "patriarchal blessing" (see Sacraments).

Apostle

The Council of Twelve Apostles is composed of twelve persons who hold the priesthood office of Apostle. Together with the First Presidency and the Presiding Bishopric they comprise the World Church Leadership Council. They are primarily responsible for the church's missionary outreach and field administration. They are called to bear their personal testimonies as a "special witness" of Jesus Christ and to enable the church to bear its witness as the Community of Christ. They administer the work of the church in the field and they oversee the seventies in the area of missionary work.

Prophet

The President of the Community of Christ holds the priesthood office of Prophet. Together with two counselors, they comprise the First Presidency. The First Presidency acts as both the president of the Church and president of the High Priesthood (Melchisedec Priesthood). The prophet-president of Community of Christ is the president of this Quorum, and chooses the other two members of the Presidency to serve as counselors. While all three are presidents of the church and high priesthood, the president has extra responsibilities as prophet, seer, and revelator of the church. This means the prophet-president bears the responsibility of bringing prophetic instruction to the church. The First Presidency are to be the chief interpreters of the Word of God to the church and have ultimate responisbility for church administration.

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