Navigating Validity & Apostolic Succession in the ISM

Dear friends,

I recently had a conversation with a dear Roman Catholic friend who expressed bewilderment about the Independent Sacramental Movement.  She joked that she knows my presbyteral ordination was valid as it took place in public, surrounded by hundreds of people, conducted by a validly ordained bishop, and in the Roman Catholic faith that has its origins in the early church.  My ordination in the Roman Catholic Church makes its validity easy to determine.  Of course, some Orthodox Churches would not recognize its validity but that is the exception.  I could take my ordination record and apply to nearly any ISM jurisdiction, and I would be accepted as a validly ordained priest/presbyter. 

This is not the case with many individuals ordained in the ISM movement.  My recent blog post addressed how many lines of apostolic succession are suspect in the eyes of Old Catholics, let alone the Roman, Anglican, and Orthodox Churches.  Those of you ordained in the ISM movement know the familiar question: “Is your ordination valid?” Behind that question lies something deeper—concerns about trust, assurance, and the continuity of faith. For many people encountering the Independent Sacramental Movement (ISM) for the first time, issues like apostolic succession and sacramental validity can feel mysterious, even confusing.

At its simplest, apostolic succession is the belief that bishops stand in a continuous line of ordination going back to the apostles. The laying on of hands, combined with prayer, has been passed from generation to generation as a sign of the Church’s continuity.

Validity, in sacramental theology, usually refers to whether a sacrament “counts.” In many traditions—including within the ISM—the elements of validity are:

• Proper form (using the words and actions passed down through tradition)

• Proper matter (bread and wine, water, oil, laying on of hands, etc.)

• Proper intent (the minister intends to do what the Church does)

• Proper orders (a bishop in the line of succession ordains or consecrates)

Most ISM communities accept these basic principles, while also recognizing there is room for interpretation and theological nuance.  People exploring the ISM movement often want: 1) to know and trace a bishop’s lineage, 2) to know if recognition by other churches matters, 3) if ordinations were valid and were performed using a historic rite and in continuity with the faith of the early church and 4) the intention of those ordaining and those being ordained.

These are fair and important questions. Within the ISM, different jurisdictions approach them with varying degrees of strictness. Some emphasize meticulous documentation of lineage. Others focus on the fruit of ministry and the pastoral reality of the sacraments.

I was recently reading a few stories online where people encountered clergy in the ISM movement.  These encounters were seen as suspect as verifiable ordination details were not provided.  This does not mean that we all need to explain and provide our ordination lineage to anyone with a passing interest, but it does mean that a lack of transparency is seen as suspect.  We in the movement need to improve our transparency and our formation for clergy.

We must also be candid: not every community has perfect documentation. Some lines of succession are disputed, some stories are messy, and human egos have sometimes clouded good judgment. Moreover, there are questions regarding breaks in apostolic succession.  Some people will accept apostolic succession lines that include women, but others will not.  Some people will see historic Anglican orders as being invalid.  But this is not unique to the ISM movement; church history across traditions is full of irregularities.  Even an apostolic church as great as the Coptic Orthodox seems to have a historical break in apostolic continuity outwardly. 

While apostolic succession is important, does it triumph over all else?  The early church had important roles for prophets who received charisms directly from the Holy Spirit and were recognized by the community.  It appears that such prophets could even celebrate the Eucharist.  Perhaps what matters most is not only the historical paperwork but also the lived faithfulness of the community: Does it lead people to Christ? Does it nurture the sacraments? Does it foster love, justice, and holiness?

Apostolic succession and sacramental validity are not abstract checklists; they are about continuity in Christ and the assurance of God’s grace at work through the Church. Within the Independent Sacramental Movement, we seek to balance integrity with humility, tradition with openness, and history with living faith.

Peace,

Ben