Pentecost and Apostolic Succession
If you’re feeling like the title up there is a spelling test, fear not. My phone, computer, etc. always have to fix succession for me. I don’t’ like to put enough double letters in it. And if you’re also wondering what some of those words mean, as I was recently reminded I tend to use the church word when there’s already another word available, but in this case I’d say there are few substitutes. As we head into Pentecost Sunday, I wanted to share a few thoughts, information, and a bit of history about Pentecost and apostolic succession.
Ideally, you’re familiar with Pentecost. It’s the only Sunday on the liturgical calendar that uses red because that represents the divided tongues, like those of fire, that danced around the Apostles as they were filled with the Holy Spirit and preached in their native tongues and were heard in countless others. Check out Acts 2 if you’d like to read the account for yourself. Pentecost is an annual celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit- the promised advocate. The pretty immediate fulfillment of the promise that Christ would be with us, even to the end of the age, in the water and the Spirit.
Pentecost is aptly named as it is set 50 days after Easter- “penta” meaning 5 in Greek. You may know it from pentagram, pentagon, or Pentateuch. Pentecost is also sometimes called the church’s birthday- not any one individual establishment, but the entire church. Peter was the rock on which Christ planned to build the church and at Pentecost it is Peter who addresses the crowd.
And this is also our foundation for apostolic succession. Apostolic succession is the formal and academic way of talking about how there has been a continuous line of believers since Christ’s original twelve apostles. Which leads to a specific nomenclature. There is a difference between a disciple and an apostle, though we sometimes use them interchangeably in the church. The original twelve were Christ’s apostles- those sent out to share the gospel with others. The original twelve were also Christ’s disciples, but so were many others, including me (and hopefully you). There is still some disagreement about if it is the meaning of the words that matters, but in general, the apostles only refers to the twelve.
Pop quiz! Can you name all twelve disciples? Matthew 10:2-4 helpfully lists them all out, including Judas.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. (Matthew 10:2-4 NRSVUE)
These original twelve apostles spread the gospel and had to decide who else to include in the church. Galatians 2 includes one side of the argument and a rebuke of Peter in Antioch by Paul who feels called to preach to the Gentiles. After Christ, those who were called to lead within the church sought the elders of their tradition and were ordained or blessed to do the work.
This tradition of the church uplifting leaders from within it has continued for thousands of years. Even with the big schisms. In 1054 there was a formal separation between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. This is also sometimes called the East-West Schism. One of the chief concerns was the authority of the Pope. Peter was by all accounts the first Papal authority and helped choose the bishops and others who were set aside as clergy from within the church, even if they were not yet called clergy. Rabbis, Pharisees, and Sadducees were the terms that might have been more familiar to Peter and Paul based on their faith, but identifying clergy would not be a strange concept. The other schisms include the Western Schism of 1378-1417, the Protestant Reformation, and the formation of the Church of England. The Western Schism is particularly notable for the 2-3 different Popes all declaring themselves Pope at the same time and excommunicating all others claiming to be Pope.
This line of apostolic succession is theoretically unbroken. Since its formation, the church has always existed. Not as we know it today, of course, but it has been around. Therefore you can go back to a certain point and see the chain of ordinations for any given pastor. This sort of history research takes a lot of work and time… which is why I’m very grateful for my friend and colleague Nick. Dr. Rev. Nick McRae, currently appointed as the senior pastor at FUMC Decatur, mapped out the line of apostolic succession for his ordination in 2023:
- In 1728, John Potter ordained John Wesley (a hero of mine) as a priest in the Church of England.
- In 1749, Johann Heinrich Schramm, Valentin Arnoldi, and Johann Heinrich Klingelhœfer ordained Philip William Otterbein (another hero of mine) as a presbyter in the German Reformed Church.
- In 1772, Robert Lowth ordained Thomas Coke as a priest in the Church of England.
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- In 1784, John Wesley set apart Thomas Coke as superintendent of the Methodists in America.
- Wesley also ordained Thomas Vasey and Richard Whatcoat as elders for service among the Methodists in America.
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- In December of 1784, Philip William Otterbein, Thomas Coke, Thomas Vasey, and Richard Whatcoat laid hands on Francis Asbury, who was ordained deacon, elder, and superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Church on three consecutive days. (See image below.)
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- Francis Asbury ordained William McKendree as an elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
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- William McKendree ordained William Capers as an elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
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- William Capers ordained Holland Nimmons McTyeire as an elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
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- Holland Nimmons McTyeire ordained Eugene Russell Hendrix as an elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
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- Eugene Russell Hendrix ordained Edwin DuBose Mouzon as an elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
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- Edwin DuBose Mouzon ordained William Angie Smith as an elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
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- William Angie Smith ordained Raymond Harold Owen as an elder in the Methodist Church.
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- Raymond Harold Owen ordained Ruben Saénz, Jr., as an elder in the United Methodist Church.
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- On Monday, June 12, 2023, Ruben Saénz, Jr., will ordain me as an elder in the United Methodist Church.
I too will be ordained by Bishop Ruben Saénz, Jr. but this year on June 9, 2025. It means a great deal me to know that I am joining a long line of clergy who have loved God, loved people, and fulfilled their ordination vows.
Happy Pentecost- may the Holy Spirit guide you, fill you, and lead you onwards.
