What is Lay Ecclesial Ministry?

Adults like to ask children what they want to be when they grow up.  We are conditioned at an early age to think of occupations, such as doctor, teacher, lawyer, astronaut, fire fighter, priest, nun, hair dresser and so on.  When we answer with a nicely defined job, it satisfactorily fulfills the curiosity of adults. 

The word, minister, connotes a nicely defined role, much like other occupations mentioned.  In reality, though, a minister has many different responsibilities that fall outside peoples’ natural perceptions.

When people ask us to define what we mean by lay ecclesial ministry for Catholics On Call, we want to be careful not to narrow the definition to include only a few functions.  A minister is not only one who preaches in front of a large group of people, who offers pastoral counseling, or who works directly with people in the parish setting.  Lay ecclesial ministers include hospital chaplains, parish business administrators, campus ministers, Catholic schoolteachers, diocesan communications directors and many other professional positions.  The determining factors whether or not a person is a lay ecclesial minister depends on where the person is working and their spiritual motivations for performing the job.

Taking our lead from the U.S. Bishops’ statement on lay ministry, “Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord,” we learn that the definition is far broader than one might realize and relies heavily on the language of gifts and graces.  Lay ecclesial ministry refers to professional service that is meant to build up the Church community. 

It is clear from the document that the bishops took great care NOT to define lay ecclesial ministry to be an occupation in the Church where some lay people have more important roles than others.¹  Instead, this kind of ministry draws its overall definition from its two distinct descriptors:

The ministry is lay because it is service done by lay persons.  The sacramental basis is the Sacraments of Initiation not the Sacrament of Ordination.  The ministry is ecclesial because it has a place within the community of the Church, whose communion and mission it serves, and because it is submitted to the discernment, authorization, and supervision of the hierarchy.²

This definition recognizes that all roles are important and are described as ministry when done in service for building the kingdom of God.  Just as Paul writes to the Corinthians, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord” (1 CO 12: 4-5), the Bishops too recognize God’s work is done by many and in diverse ways.

Young adults considering a life of service in the Church as lay ecclesial ministers should reflect upon what their God-given gifts are and how they want to share them with others. Our gifts speak directly to our identities and help define who we are.  As our Christian theology teaches, each one of us is unique and has been graced by God with skills, personalities and experiences that are special to us.  Gifts like organization, leadership, persuasion, math ability and listening skills can be used in many different ways.  Experiences like growing up in a divorced family, going on a special volunteer trip overseas or meeting somebody that immediately impacts our own self-awareness all speak to different motivations.  Having an outgoing personality or liking lots of solitude will impact our future choices about how we will use our gifts.  There is much to discern about our lives, but it is our responsibility to articulate who we are and to figure out how God wants us to use our gifts. 

Our desire for doing God’s work must be coupled with openness to change and continual transformation, though.  Theological education and spiritual formation are vitally important for ministers working within the Church today.  The reality that the number of priests and religious continues to decline only reinforces the need for lay leaders to have a strong theological grounding.  Since lay ecclesial ministers are in positions of leadership, we have a responsibility, like those who are ordained and religious, to effectively use our power and influence for the good of the community, not for self-advancement.  We also have a responsibility for imparting theological teachings that are accurate and true, for calling forward the gifts and skills of others and making sure we use them effectively.  All this work is demanding, challenging and immensely rewarding.

When it comes times to explain what we as lay ecclesial ministers do for a living, we might have some confused looks because our jobs might not fit that pre-defined role many occupations have.  However, we will know that our work is valued, not only for us personally, but by the entire Catholic community and beyond because we will be using our gifts and skills for the greater good.

¹ “Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord: A Resource for Guiding Development of Lay Ecclesial Ministry,” Washington, D.C.: United States Council of Catholic Bishops, p. 11.

²  Ibid.

JoEllen Windau