Ordination by lot at Franconia Mennonite Church, 1965

Ordination service at Franconia Mennonite Church, led by seven bishops of Franconia Conference, December 11, 1965. Franklin M. Frederick was chosen from among four candidates to serve as deacon at Franconia. This was the traditional method of ordination, but by the mid-1960s support for it was declining, and this was the last use of the lot in this conference. Recorded by Elmer L. Kratz. (expand for more information) This is only the ordination portion of the service, led by Curtis Bergey, with prayer by Joseph Gross. The other men in the lot were Earl M. Anders, Harold K. Nice, and Mahlon M. Frederick (Franklin's brother). The drawing of lots begins at 9 minutes, 25 seconds. The tape was stopped a couple times, but you can hear the tail end of Curtis' statement to the first candidate that they may "go free" because their book did not contain the slip; then you hear that the slip was found in Franklin's book; and then Curtis checks the last two books and notes that the slips are blank.