In addition Tertullian made it clear that discipline needed to be observed in the appointment of people to the various ministries.

And so it comes to pass that to-day one man is their bishop, to-morrow another; to-day he is a deacon who to-morrow is a reader; to-day he is a presbyter who tomorrow is a layman. For even on laymen do they impose the functions of priesthood.

The distinction between the major orders and the minor -orders was supported by the historic practices associated with the ordination of Readers which consisted of the delivery of a book, such as the Book of the Apostle (Paul), and without (except in a small number of cases) either the laying on of hands or formal ordination prayers.

Another feature is the distinction identified by Cognar between the two Greek words which are used for ordination. Katastasis is used for the 'simple', 'public nomination' ordination (of widows, readers and sub-deacons as opposed to the 'real' ordination (kheirotonia) of bishops, priests and deacons in the early church.