The Elder’s Ordination (1): What?
This article by Douglas Kuiper examines the biblical and ecclesiastical basis for the ordination of elders in the church, emphasizing that qualification alone does not constitute ordination—the formal act of the church is necessary. Drawing on Acts 14:23 and Titus 1:5, along with the Protestant Reformed Church Order, Kuiper explains what ordination is and why it is essential for one to legitimately hold the office of elder.
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee. (Titus 1:5) The fact that a man is qualified to be an elder in Christ's church does not, by itself, make him an elder. Nor has he become an elder by virtue of being designated by the council of a church or being chosen by the congregation to be an elder. Until the church of Jesus Christ ordains a man to be elder in her midst, that man may...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org