Editing The Order of Christ Sophia (section)

==Ordination and leadership structure==
There are three levels of ministry in the OCS. "Ministers" are the first level of ministry and are empowered to baptize, teach classes and lead Sunday Services. "Priests" are empowered to baptize and illumine students and teach most of the classes, lead Sunday services, and act as directors of the Centers of Light.  Master Teachers are the highest level of ministry and are empowered to bring students through all three initiations and ordain priests. There are also intermediary training positions before each ordination. Currently, Mother Clare Watts is the only Master Teacher in the OCS but reports that she expects more Master Teachers will be ordained in time.

The OCS ordains female clergy, and one apparent difference between the OCS and traditional Christianity is its acknowledgement of Mother Mary as co-redeemer and equal to Jesus Christ.  Perhaps because of this assertion, a major proportion of the OCS’s ministry is female.  As religious scholar James R Lewis writes, "women will probably continue to constitute a majority of the membership into the foreseeable future because of the women’s spirituality issues addressed by the Order, and because of the opportunities for females assuming ministerial leadership positions in the organization – opportunities not present in Roman Catholicism and other traditionalist Christian bodies."<ref name="ReferenceA">Lewis, James, R. ''New data on who joins NRMs and why: A case study of the Order of Christ/Sophia'': Journal of Alternative Spiritualities, JANSAS 1:2; 2006 (91 – 104)</ref>