The International Fellowship Of Covenant Churches (IFOCC.), believes that in all ordinations and consecrations the One who truly ordains and consecrates is God, who through the words and acts of a Apostle / Bishop in the Apostolic Succession, along with other representatives, and in response to the prayers of His Church, Ordains, Commissions and Empowers for the office and work to which they are called the persons whom it has selected. In the earliest ordination of which we have record, that described in Acts 6:16, the following parts appear: election by the people, prayer and the laying on of apostolic hands.
This pattern describes for us the scriptural and historical authority for the essential elements in ordination services; the same three parts form the basis for every ordination in The International Fellowship Of Covenant Churches (IFOCC)
1. The Presentation of the candidates to one of the Apostle / Bishops, this being the last step in the process of choice of them by the church
2. The Prayer for those about to be ordained or consecrated, that they may receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for their ministry and
3. The Laying On Of Hands of at least three Apostles / Bishops (in an Episcopal consecration), and presbyters (in an ordination of presbyters).
4. To these have been added an examination of the candidates concerning their beliefs and duties, proper vesting according to their order, the delivering to them of the instruments of their office, and the presentation and greeting of the newly ordained.
The above three steps are the means used by the original Apostles themselves and are still in use today. This is considered necessary for valid Consecration / Ordination, together with the correct intention on the part of the ordaining Apostle / Bishop. This is why the succession of Apostles / Bishops down to our own day is so carefully guarded and maintained. In The International Fellowship Of Covenant Churches, we have been wonderfully blessed with a rich and variegated Apostolic Succession that connects us to many branches of the Covenant Churches, both east, west, north, south and international.
The International Fellowship Of Covenant Churches / College Of Apostles / Bishops believes that the ministry is a gift of God through Christ to His church, which He has given for the perfecting of the life and service of all its members. The Church as a whole is a priestly body, since it is the Body of Christ, the great High Priest. All its members, according to the measure of the gift of Christ, share in its priestly nature. Yet from the beginning, God has entrusted particular ministries to particular persons within it, and these have, through the Church, received the commission of Christ.
The ordained ministry of The International Fellowship Of Covenant Churches, in consists of Apostles, Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons. In accepting this ministry, the Apostolic Ministerial Fellowship desires to maintain continuity with the historic ministry of the Church as it has come down to us from early times through what is commonly known as the Historic Apostolic Succession. A Consecration / Ordination service is the sacramental rite by which one of these ministries is conferred. It is an act of God in His Church.
The International Fellowship Of Covenant Churches / College Of Apostle & Bishops believes that in all ordinations and consecrations the One who truly ordains and consecrates is God, who through the words and acts of a Apostle / Bishop in the Apostolic Succession, along with other representatives, and in response to the prayers of His Church, ordains, commissions and empowers for the office and work to which they are called the persons whom it has selected.