A lot of people don’t know this, but the founders of the Christian Church, people like Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone, were wary of having ordained clergy in the church. They were afraid if the church hired paid ministers that everyone else might lose sight of the fact that the church is called to be a Priesthood of Believers.
It’s easy to forget that the responsibility of ministry is given to all of us and not just a few. It’s easy to fall into a pattern in which the paid ministers engage in ministry, while others sit back and watch (and advise). In football, this is called “armchair quarterbacking.” Indeed, the church has sometimes been compared to a football game: “Twenty-two people on the field, badly in need of a rest, and forty thousand in the stands, badly in need of exercise.”
This weekend, we’ll be celebrating the Priesthood of Believers at all our services. Our own Dick Lofton will be sharing his thoughts about the ministry of the laity on Sunday at our 8:00 and 10:05 a.m. services and Dee Brown will be sharing a message at Saturday Night Alive and Starting Point. Join us as we celebrate our ministry together!?