Ministry, carrying forth Christ’s mission in the world, is fundamentally the task of the church, the whole people of God, and is conferred on each Christian in baptism. Certain persons, however, are called and ordained to ministries of leadership within the church itself. These ordained ministries, sometimes referred to as offices or holy orders, are understood differently in the various branches of the Christian church.
1. Roman Catholicism
The Roman Catholic Church now has three …