Ordination of Dave Knowles
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Ben (at the pulpit) - Call to Order: The congregation is now called to order that as fellow members of the church of Jesus Christ we would officially confirm our Brother Dave Knowles as Ordained of God to serve as an Elder in His church in this local body of believer’s known as the Heritage Christian Fellowship.
I invite the Pastor-elders of Heritage Christian Fellowship Jeff Katt, Shaan Sloan, Terry Thomas, and Greg Ferreri to join me as the congregation stands for the prayer of invocation. (Elders will stand to the left of the pulpit.)
Ben (at the pulpit) - Prayer of Invocation: Please be seated. Prayer
O holy God, gracious heavenly Father, we come before you today in prayer to seek your blessing on this service, on this time in which we confirm your Divine Ordination upon your servant Dave to be a shepherd to your flock here at Heritage. We praise you for you are sovereign and you work marvelous and wonderful things such as this moment now to build up and sanctify and direct us, your people.
O Lord we ask that you will mightily use Pastor Dave to be an instrument that brings about the greater glorification and magnification of the name of your Son in each of us, in our church and in the unbelieving world surrounding us. Please, Lord, cause him to grow in his joy and satisfaction in you, in his knowledge of your love, in his understanding of your will and your wisdom as written in your Word, and in his wisdom in applying your word to his life and to his service as a pastor-elder here at heritage. May he taste and see that you are good and then be filled with an unending passion to share your goodness to us, to this city and to the nations.
We pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Greg (at the pulpit) - Statement of Purpose: Upon the observance of the person and life of Dave Knowles for these past several years, and by the clear and consistent demonstration of his life, the eldership has decided to affirm Dave Knowles in His calling and gifting in our own local church, Heritage Christian Fellowship. Since we are an independent church and do not look to a denominational authority, we as a congregation ordain each of our own pastor-elders upon a demonstration of their calling, competency and character. After a thorough testing process, the whole congregation participates in acknowledging and affirming that indeed God has called and gifted our pastor- elders to serve as under-shepherds in our own local church.
Greg (at the pulpit) - Invitation of Candidate: At this time, we invite Dave Knowles to come forward to stand before us that we might publicly affirm that God has ordained him to serve the Lord in His church as a Pastor-Elder. (Candidate will come and stand to the right of the pulpit.)
Terry (at the pulpit) - Declaration of Candidates Qualification: In demonstration of his desire to serve as an Overseer of the church for which Christ Jesus shed His blood, and in accordance to the Scripture, Dave Knowles has submitted himself to a time of testing by answering in detail every question required of him; and by enduring the rigid examination of his life in light of the Scripture regarding eldership as found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1; and by our requiring the members of this congregation, Heritage Christian Fellowship, to step forward to address any positive or negative concerns one might have regarding his appointment to eldership, a position of high responsibility and accountability within the church.
In this testing process, he has continued to demonstrate God’s calling upon his life through ministry, through the answering of the many questions placed before him, and that with excellence, spiritual insight, and integrity; and was found to be actively living a life which conforms to the biblical requirements of an pastor-elder. By no means was he shown to be unqualified to serve as an elder of the church, but in every regard, biblically qualified.
Having completed the time of testing and having recognized God’s call upon his life, together we come to this time when we as a congregation of people shall now pray over Dave with the laying on of hands, confirming what God has done, ordaining Dave Knowles to serve as a pastor-elder at Heritage Christian Fellowship.
As with all pastor-elders, our brother Dave Knowles is to be shown the proper respect as is fitting those who are ordained of God to such an office, and that in reverence to and always before the face of the Almighty God. Every member of this congregation is expected to exhibit toward him the full respect, dignity and honor due the office of a pastor-elder, as it is God alone who gives such authority.
Under the headship of Christ, and in accordance with the Laws of the State of New Mexico, ordination by the eldership of Heritage Christian Fellowship constitutes the formal affirmation of the divine call, his biblical qualification, God given gifts and spiritual abilities for Christian ministry, which then must be followed by the diligent fulfillment of the varied responsibilities and functions of the pastorate, including the Ministry of the Word and prayer, and the authority to officiate over funerals and weddings. This ordination is to be recognized by the Lord’s church in its entirety, as it is also legally recognized by the State of New Mexico and governing agencies of these United States of America.
This confirmation comes as the Pastor-Elders and this congregation have recognized Dave’s call to the ministry, his preparedness to shepherd and guard the flock, and his qualification to serve. This Ordination to Eldership shall be conferred for life, so long as Dave Knowles continues to manifest such qualities, meeting the biblical qualifications of the office, fulfilling the sacred duties thereof.
Terry at the pulpit) - Invitation of Family to Join Candidate: We now ask Dave’s wife Lin to join her husband by standing at his side. We now invite the rest of his family to stand with him also.
(Wait until the family has joined the Knowles before inviting the Deacons.)
Shaan (at the pulpit) - Invitation of Deacons: And now, we ask that Deacons: name each deacon … to come and stand behind Brother Knowles that we might pray over him with the laying on of hands.
Shaan (at the pulpit) - Charge and Prayer of Ordination with Laying on of Hands
Charge – Our dearly beloved brother Pastor Dave Knowles, we the eldership, together with the deacons and congregation of Heritage Christian Fellowship ABQ, in much love bound together with you in the Christ by the Spirit, this 19th day of November 2023, in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom… do solemnly give you this charge…
That you give yourself wholly to God and to Christ first and foremost, by the Spirit and in genuine love for Him, and second that you love your wife and manage your family well, making them a priority and not neglecting them, but nourishing and cherishing them,
And then to give yourself diligently and earnestly to care for God’s people, being gentle and patient with them in all humility and sincerity of heart, being always earnest to shepherd the flock of God whom He has gathered before you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for unjust gain, but with eagerness and heartfelt desire, not lording over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be an example to the flock in word, in behavior, in love, in faith and in purity of life.
That you submit yourself in humility and love with respect to the plurality of elders which govern this local church, whom you serve with as under-shepherds, striving for unity with them inasmuch as possible, and that you make yourself accountable to every member of Christ’s body here at HCF, with integrity and sincerity of heart,
That you preach the Word of God with clarity and conviction, that you give yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching, being ready at all times and places, to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, and to have with God’s precious people, much grace and patience as you give them careful instruction.
That you study to show yourself approved unto God and that you rightly divide the word of truth, and always and ever strive to put forth the highest view of God and His inspired Word that you possibly can,
That you strive to make the Gospel of God clear and always keep at the center of your preaching and teaching the Person and Work of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His life for the church that you serve,
That you warn sinners of the wrath to come, lovingly and zealously seeking to turn them from sin and death to Christ the Savior, calling them to repentance and faith, with much grace plainly setting forth the Gospel before them that they may be saved, for the glory of Christ alone.
This charge we give you this day, by the laying on of our hands and in recognition of God’s calling you to this ministry, that you do it for the glory of God and for the fame of His great name, according to the blessed Gospel of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, in and by the power of the Holy Spirit who is in you.
1 Peter 5:4 - And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. According to His great promise... Amen! and all the church said Amen.
Prayer – OVER
Now let us pray. Brothers, laying on of hands.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is heaven. O Lord we do come before you today and beseech you for your grace and affirmation of our brother Dave’s calling to serve you and your people, according to that gift that you have given Him. Dear God we ask that you strengthen Him to faithfully fulfill this charge and keep Him from sin and temptations that would beset him from his ministry, to uphold him and his family firm in the faith, to guide Him as he leads your people, for Jesus’ sake. Lord, grant him much faith and zeal to serve you, that his ministry would always glorify you and remain consistent with your Word. In his leadership be his wisdom, in his weakness Lord, be his strength, in his sorrow be his hope. Lord grant that Dave will trust in you with all of His heart, and not lean on his own understanding, but Lord that in all his ways he would acknowledge you, and follow your guidance and your Word. Lord grant that he would lead your people confidently, that he would teach them diligently and accurately, the he would counsel and heal them with much grace and love. Guide him to protect your people from falsehood and lies, and that he would always rely upon you and your Sovereign gracious hand and power, knowing that you do all things right. All these things we ask for the sake of Jesus who loved us and died for us, that we might be one with Him forever in your glorious eternal Kingdom. In His great name we pray, Amen.
Shaan (at the pulpit) - Pronouncement of Ordination: By the authority of the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and in recognition of the divine calling of the Sovereign God who distributes such gifts as He wills, and inasmuch as Dave Knowles is ordained by God as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and in accordance with the Holy Scriptures having been tested and found to be well qualified to serve the Lord’s church as a Pastor-Elder, let it now be known on this 19th Day of November 2023, that Dave Knowles is an ordained Pastor-Elder of Heritage Christian Fellowship. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Jeff (at the pulpit) - Signing of Certificate: Now, gentlemen, with these witnesses present, would you please join in Signing the Certificate of Ordination.
Jeff (at the pulpit) - Presentation of Certificate: Pastor Dave Knowles, it is with great joy in Christ Jesus our Lord that we present you with this Certificate of Ordination: Please come and address us.
MOM (at the pulpit) – Introduction of Song: And now church, let us stand together to sing “The Church’s One Foundation”
Jeff (at the pulpit) - Closing Remarks & Prayer: In praise and thanksgiving and for the food we are about to partake, let us now bow our heads in prayer as we conclude this Ordination Service.
Prayer: Jeff
The entire congregation is invited to join us in the fellowship hall for a banquet of thanksgiving unto God, and for a time of fellowship.