Over the years, I have tried to help more than 150 churches through this ministry. As we can see, this ministry is fundamentally built on a relationship between the laity and their pastor. Although the ministry does not include every member of the congregation directly, in one way or another the whole congregation can see it, experience it, taste its benefits, and become involved in its influence.
However, I discovered that this ministry is not easy for pastors to lead—especially for senior pastors of local churches. These senior pastors are not simply general pastors serving anywhere. They are the leaders who are ultimately responsible for their particular churches. They are the top decision-makers and have the authority to make the major decisions concerning whether and how this ministry will be adopted and adapted in their churches.
Of course, there are different levels of responsibility within the ministry. Dr. Melvin Steinbron called one important group the Ministry Leadership Group (MLG). This group consists of people who carry significant responsibility for the success or failure of the ministry. Usually, the MLG includes approximately four to eight laypeople, particularly among the trained lay pastors who understand the ministry well.
In larger churches, an associate pastor may be assigned to oversee the ministry. However, such a pastor often serves primarily as a manager or coordinator rather than as the person who actually carries out the ministry. Nevertheless, even when there are different levels of responsibility, the senior pastor remains the person at the highest level of leadership. Ultimately, the senior pastor makes the major decisions, including whether the church will adopt the ministry and how it will be adapted to the particular situation of the church.
Therefore, the senior pastor needs to understand PACE at least at a basic level. At the same time, if the pastor wants to lead the ministry effectively, he or she needs a more comprehensive understanding of Lay Pastors Ministry (LPM).
Unfortunately, I found that many senior pastors did not fully understand the ministry and, therefore, were not able to lead it properly. One of the greatest difficulties was what I would call an old mindset—or an old habit of leadership.
Many pastors were accustomed to a highly centralized style of leadership. However, this ministry does not work well under a completely centralized leadership system. The purpose of LPM is to allow laypeople to participate actively in ministry. It means giving them appropriate freedom and responsibility to carry out the ministry to which they are called.
If pastors think that ministry originally belongs only to them and that laypeople are simply there to help the pastor perform his ministry, then the ministry cannot function properly. That is not the fundamental concept of LPM.
Rather, we need to understand that this is genuinely a ministry of laypeople. In many ways, we are returning ministry to those whom God has also called. Laypeople are called, gifted, and equipped by God. Therefore, pastors must believe not only in the concept of lay ministry but also in the laypeople themselves.
If a pastor does not truly believe in laypeople, they cannot perform their ministry freely, properly, or effectively.
For this reason, pastoral leadership needs to change. The pastor’s primary role is not to control everything personally but to mobilize, encourage, support, and equip laypeople. Pastors should help them minister more effectively than before and encourage them to grow and mature toward the fullness of Christ.
This requires a different understanding of leadership. The pastor does not lose ministry by sharing responsibility. Instead, the pastor fulfills an important biblical responsibility by equipping God’s people for ministry.
Senior pastors also need a deeper and more detailed understanding of both LPM and PACE if they want the ministry to succeed. Through my experience, I have found that many failures in this ministry are connected to the senior pastor’s lack of knowledge and understanding.
Simply speaking, some pastors do not know exactly what the ministry is, how it works, or how they should guide and lead it. Without this understanding, it is difficult for them to provide the appropriate leadership.
During the past ten years, I have tried to help many churches develop this ministry. My primary role has been to visit churches and train their prospective lay pastors. LPMI USA has also worked in a similar way.
However, I believe that senior pastors themselves must continue to grow and develop. They should not depend too heavily on our Institute or on outside trainers. If they become overly dependent on us, they may become weak in developing their own leadership and management abilities.
Outside trainers and institutes can provide guidance, training, resources, and encouragement. However, they cannot permanently lead the ministry for a local church. Eventually, the senior pastor and the local church must take ownership of the ministry.
Therefore, the long-term success of LPM and PACE depends greatly on the leadership of the senior pastor. The pastor must understand the ministry, believe in the calling and gifts of laypeople, equip them properly, and gradually release them into meaningful ministry.
The goal is not simply to create more helpers for the pastor.
The goal is to build a church in which God’s people are equipped, mobilized, and released to serve one another—and to grow together into the fullness of Christ.