A Third Way to Minister

Early in the history of the Christian church, believers were divided into two groups--the clergy and the laity. Clergy were those called to a full-time Christian vocation. Laity were the men and women who pursued secular vocations and supported the ministry of the clergy. Of course, these categories were not always hard and fast. The Baptist movement in frontier America prospered through people who pursued a secular job (like farming) during the week and preached on Sundays.

Denominations have spent significant energy in differentiating between clergy and laity, and investing significant resources in the training of the former. With declining resources and membership, however, judicatories are adopting flexible models of ministry that take advantage of the gifts of both biprofessional and lay leaders. This certainly makes sense as many lay church members have not only spiritual gifts to serve but educational and professional skills as well.

At the same time, a third ministry alternative is emerging. This is the person who is theologically trained but working in a secular vocation. This may be business, education, health, or a not-for-profit organization. He or she has voluntarily chosen this path and understands that their vocation is their ministry. In many ways, this is the worker priest model where the clergyperson is both minister and secular professional.

Why has this happened? Several reasons come to mind.

1. Some who follow this model do not perceive the church as the most effective place to make a difference in society and the lives of people. This is a painful admission, but an individual often makes a greater impact outside the walls of the church by being a Christian in a secular field. He or she rubs shoulders daily with those who never attend a church and can bring a theological perspective both personally and organizationally in the workplace.

2. Some realize that they can do good in ways that the church cannot. Social entrepreneurs use their business skills to both provide a service or product and serve others. Not only do they influence individual lives, but they make a difference in society by providing jobs that bring people out of poverty and despair.

3. Too often, churches move too slowly in responding to individual and social needs. Part of this is due to liability concerns; another part is fear of trying something different. Whatever the reason, church and religious organizations often move too slowly in responding to need.

4. Churches in decline are more interested in survival than innovative ministry. Someone with vision and an entrepreneurial spirit wants to invest themselves in others without having to service a bureaucracy.

Some seminaries have recognized the validity of this third way and have designed theological degree programs to provide formation for those who choose this path. Their number will continue to grow in the days ahead and challenge our ideas of the ministerial vocation.

(This post originally appeared here on August 30, 2017.)

Comments

Check these out

Confessions of a Recovering Southern Baptist

I am grateful for my heritage as a Southern Baptist. I was exposed to the Bible and worship from a very young age. I grew up in a church in south Alabama that supported the Cooperative Program of missions giving. This meant that our church had the benefit of being part of a supportive group of local churches and the educational opportunities that afforded. Our state convention provided varied and effective ministries with groups like orphans, ethnic groups, and college students. We supported missionaries at home and abroad. We had good Bible study and training literature (which we paid for, of course). I went to an accredited seminary and paid a remarkably low tuition. Wherever you went on a Sunday morning (in the Southeast and Southwest, at least), you could find a church that sang the familiar hymns and studied the same Bible lesson. In hindsight, I realize that this Southern Baptist utopia was imperfect. There were significant...

The Bible Tells Me So

As I read the story of the Good Samaritan during my devotional today, I was reminded of the times that I have heard the story in the Christian education setting of the local church--as a youngster in primary and intermediate classes (old terminology), as a young adult in college classes, and then as an adult, often teaching the passage myself. The characters and story line are very familiar due to these experiences of Christian education. These are challenging times for Christian education in the church. Like so much of what is happening in the church today, the old forms do not seem to support present needs. What once worked no longer seems to be effective. Christian education or the formation of believers is in a state of flux. In an article on ethicsdaily.com , retired professor Colin Harris addresses this issue. He points out that the period of the 60’s and 70’s “saw the beginnings of a loss of vitality within the educa...

Metaphors of the Kingdom of God

In a recent blog , consultant Seth Godin addresses the power of metaphor. He points out, “The best way to learn a complex idea is to find it living inside something else you already understand.” In other words, “this” is like “that.” “When you see a story, an example, a wonderment,” says Godin, “take a moment to look for the metaphor inside.” Jesus turned this around. In the use of parables, he told a story or provided a metaphor and challenged his hearers to see the truth within. For example, in his teaching on the Kingdom (or Reign) of God in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus compares the Kingdom to such things as a mustard seed, yeast, a hidden treasure, a net, a king, and a landowner. His hearers are encouraged to use their imaginations to understand something that they had never experienced. He also attempted to shift their perspective so that they might see signs of the Kingdom breaking into their present reality. These are metapho...

The Tragedy of Willow Creek Community Church

File photo of Steve Carter, Heather Larson, and Bill Hybels As Christian brothers and sisters, we need to pray for Willow Creek Community Church. On the eve of the Global Leadership Summit, a worldwide conference sponsored by the church in cooperation with the Willow Creek Association, church leadership imploded as a result of further allegations against former pastor Bill Hybels. Last year, Hybels introduced the team who would assume church leadership upon his retirement--lead pastor Heather Larson and teaching pastor Steve Carter. Although the founding pastor planned to stay on to assist in a time of transition, reports of sexual impropriety involving Hybels surfaced early this year. He accelerated his departure from the church and left the board of the Willow Creek Association. When other charges emerged last week, teaching pastor Carter resigned. On Wednesday evening, Larson and the entire elder board--lay leaders who provide accountability ...

A Future for the Global Leadership Summit?

Craig Groeschel, the founder and senior pastor of Life.Church. The Global Leadership Summit which began as a project of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, and its founding pastor, Bill Hybels, over 25 years ago was held this week without Hybels. For several years, the GLS has been now produced by the Willow Creek Association, a spin-off organization and a loose network of churches but Hybels has been its driving force. Attended by thousands at the church facility in South Barrington and broadcast to thousands more at satellite locations, the annual meeting brings together not only evangelical leaders but outstanding speakers from business, charitable organizations, politics, and business. For the first time, Hybels did not appear due to allegations of sexual impropriety brought against him over the past year by former employees, staff members, and business associates. He has already left the church and resigned from the board of t...

Barnabas File

Search This Blog