An ordinance is a term used by certain Christian denominations for a

religious ritual A ritual is a repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning. Traditionally ...

that was instituted by Jesus for Christians to observe. Examples of ordinances include

baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

and the Lord's Supper, both of which are practiced in denominations including the

Anabaptist Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism'; , earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. ...

Churches of Christ The Churches of Christ, also commonly known as the Church of Christ, is a loose association of autonomous Christian congregations located around the world. Typically, their distinguishing beliefs are that of the necessity of baptism for salvation ...

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...

, and modern

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

denominations. Some churches, including those of the Anabaptists, include headcovering and footwashing as ordinances. The number of ordinances depends on the Christian denomination, with Mennonite Anabaptists counting seven ordinances, while some Baptists may name two or three.

Distinctions

Christian traditions, including Anabaptists (such as

Mennonites Mennonites are a group of Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Radical Reformation. The name ''Mennonites'' is derived from the cleric Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, part of ...

and Schwarzenau Brethren), some

Baptists Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

, Christian Churches/Churches of Christ,

Disciples of Christ The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...

, refer to "ordinances", rather than "

sacrament A sacrament is a Christian rite which is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence, number and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol ...

s". While a sacrament is seen as a means of grace from God, an ordinance is a practice that rather demonstrates the participants' faith.

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

, and classical

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

traditions in their historic confessions of faith (

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

s, Moravians, Continental Reformed,

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

s and Congregationalists) prefer the use of the term "sacrament".

Anabaptism

For Anabaptists, "ordinances brought one into conformity with the truth of Jesus Christ, whose

life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

, crucifixion, death, and resurrection had so fundamentally altered all of humanity and creation that human beings were now capable of works of loving obedience that revealed the indwelling presence of God in Christ in all people." Seven ordinances have been taught in many Conservative Mennonite churches, which include "baptism, communion, footwashing, marriage, anointing with oil, the holy kiss, and the prayer covering." The Dunkard Brethren Church, a Conservative Anabaptist denomination in the Schwarzenau Brethren tradition, includes

, feetwashing, communion, the holy kiss, headcovering, and anointing of the sick among the ordinances of the Church. Feetwashing, communion and the holy kiss occur during the lovefeast.

Baptists

Some Baptists, mainly those who are part of the

Evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

stream, teach two ordinances:

Baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

(strictly only by backward immersion and for believers) and the Lord's Supper ( only symbolically), as established explicitly by Jesus Christ without a sacramental meaning. A minority of Evangelical Baptists would also include footwashing as a third ordinance.

Mormonism

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(Mormons) uses the term "ordinance", however the underlying belief is sacramenta

https://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Ordinances] Rituals such as baptism, confirmation, initiatory (Chrismation) Washing and anointing"> ee: washing and anointing ordination, endowment (formal vows and reception of sacred vestment

and marriage are referred to as "saving ordinance

as they are considered transformative and necessary for salvation and exaltation. Similar to Catholic sacraments, Mormon ordinances are only considered valid if performed by ordained clergy with apostolic succession reaching back to Jesus through Pete

https://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Ordination_to_the_Priesthoo

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1971/04/roman-catholicism?lang=eng]

Pentecostalism

The Calvary Holiness Association, a

Holiness Pentecostal Holiness Pentecostalism is the original branch of Pentecostalism, which is characterized by its teaching of three works of grace: the New Birth (first work of grace), entire sanctification (second work of grace), and Spirit baptism evidenced ...

denomination, affirms the ordinances of

, the Lord's Supper, and the washing of the Saint's feet. Certain Pentecostal denominations, such as the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church and the Christian Congregation, among others, observe the ordinance of women's headcovering in obedience to .

References