I have found the meaning of this ministry in several important ways.
First, every believer is a minister.
This comes from the meaning of Ephesians 4:11–12, which is the main Scripture and core concept of the Lay Pastors Ministry. In the 1970s, Lutheran theologian Oscar Feucht wrote the book Everyone a Minister, and the title itself was shocking to many people, especially pastors. At that time, both pastors and laypeople often assumed that only pastors were ministers.
But Feucht emphasized that everyone who has Christ in his or her life is called to ministry. He even used the term ministerium, which originally referred to the gathering and ministry of pastors, in a broader way to emphasize the ministry of all believers.
This is one of the fundamental meanings of the Lay Pastors Ministry: ministry is not limited to ordained pastors. Every believer can be a minister.
Second, it means becoming partners in ministry.
Dr. James Garlow, who was the pastor of Skyline Methodist Church in San Diego, wrote Partners in Ministry as part of his Ph.D. dissertation at Drew University. In that book, he emphasized that pastors and laypeople should become partners in ministry.
I have seen this concept developing in Korean churches as well. One large church in Kangnam, downtown Seoul, had emphasized “making disciples” as its primary ministry paradigm. This approach became very influential not only among Korean churches but also among churches throughout Asia. However, the church later changed its emphasis and adopted the concept of becoming a “church of partners in ministry.”
I believe this is a more appropriate direction for the long-term development of the church. The goal is not simply to make disciples who receive ministry from the pastor, but to develop disciples who participate with the pastor as partners in ministry.
Third, the pastor grows, and laypeople grow.
Of course, pastors and laypeople have always grown in one way or another. However, without the proper paradigm and direction for ministry, that growth can be limited.
Through the Lay Pastors Ministry, both pastors and laypeople can experience a different kind of growth. Pastors grow as they learn to equip, encourage, and release laypeople for ministry. Laypeople grow as they discover their gifts, accept responsibility, and actually care for others.
Therefore, LPM is not simply a ministry for laypeople. It is a ministry in which both pastors and laypeople grow together.
Fourth, it contributes to the health of the church.
This is directly related to church culture. If the culture of a church is healthy, the church has a much stronger foundation for growth. A healthy culture can accommodate people, encourage participation, build trust, and develop commitment.
The Lay Pastors Ministry seeks to build a healthy church culture. It is not merely about adding another program to the church. It is about changing the way people relate to one another and changing the way ministry is understood.
Culture is closely related to commitment. When people feel that they belong, that they are needed, and that they have a meaningful role in the ministry, they are more likely to become committed to the church and to one another.
Finally, it is about team ministry.
When I speak about team ministry here, I am not primarily referring to pastors and pastoral staff working as a team. I am referring to laypeople working with laypeople—people caring for people.
Laypeople need to develop a team spirit. They need to become partners in ministry with their senior pastor, while also developing a sense of teamwork among themselves.
The ministry cannot remain a matter of “you and me.” It needs to become “we.”
I once read a book titled Me to We. The title itself attracted my attention, so I bought the book, read it, and later translated it into Korean. The book describes a dialogue between an older pastor and a younger pastor. The younger pastor was struggling with his church ministry, and the older, more experienced pastor advised him from the teaching of Ephesians 4:11–12: the leaders are to equip the saints for the work of ministry.
That message captures something essential about the Lay Pastors Ministry. The pastor does not have to do all the ministry alone. The pastor’s role is to equip God’s people so that they can participate in the work of ministry.
Therefore, the meaning of this ministry can be summarized simply:
Every believer is a minister.
Pastors and laypeople are partners in ministry.
Pastors and laypeople grow together.
A healthy church culture is developed.
And “me” becomes “we” through team ministry.
This is what the Lay Pastors Ministry means to me.