@joshuapsteele fwiw, just one more opinion from the internet; in my denomination, ordination is not considered to be an ontological state. To be ordained in my denomination, you need to be approved to go to seminary, you need to graduate in good standing with the academic requirements of the MDiv, in good standing with the assessments of the seminary faculty, and in good standing with the office of the bishop of the synod that authorized you to pursue the ministry of Word and Sacrament (pastor/priest, verbiage depending on whether you’re an American Lutheran or a European Lutheran). But you are not eligible to be ordained – in my denomination, at least – until a congregation calls you to be their pastor, and calls you with a near-unanimous vote (not a good idea to accept a call if 75% of the congregation votes “yes” but 25% vote that they do not want you to be their pastor). So: seminary, synod, and a congregation all have to resoundingly vote yes before you can be ordained. If I was no longer under call (serving a parish, or serving under a synod-authorized special call such as a chaplaincy) for long enough, I would no longer be eligible for another call without pursuing further credentialing. So that is the jurisdictional authorization part.

But as to your more philosophical question, whether ordination confers something real and permanent, I’m not sure. However, I believe being in ministry definitely does. Being in ministry changes people over time, or it should. I think of it this way: To say I have been ordained is similar to saying I have been married. That is indeed meaningful and important and something no one can take away from me. But I think ordination is more like a wedding ceremony and marriage license - you’re approved to embark on the adventure, but that is not in itself the actual adventure; being in ministry is more like a marriage, living the adventure itself. It is the formational experiences of being in the ministry that conferred real and permanent changes for me, but it is the ordination that prepared me for the ride.

If any of that makes sense.