Lay Leadership and the Future of a Reformed Christian Tradition

8/9/2019 Lay Leadership and the Future of a Reformed Christian Tradition

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Persistent Presbyterianism?

Lay Leadership and the Future of a Reformed Christian tradition in the

West

John Roxborogh [email protected]

Introduction

Assuming that organizational culture is relevant to the ability of a church to relate to

its environment, it is at least a question whether the place of laity in the leaership

structures of Reforme churches was a !ey element in their connecting with the

emerging political an economic ethos of the moern worl." #urrent ebates

concerning orination an lay ministry in $resbyterian churches can also be set in the

context of their relationship to features of contemporary organizational culture. A

further issue is whether the church can aapt its organizational culture in a principle

way as it see!s to maintain continuity with its ethos an regain connection with

contemporary society.

As well as parallel stuies on other traitions, more research is neee of the social

composition of the elership an presbyteries in ifferent historical an cultural

situations, but this paper is an attempt to clarify issues an lines of enquiry an to see!

critical comment an ieas for furthering this line of research an reflection.

1. Persistence is the only option unless you are already dead.

%here are a number of critical framewor!s that can be use in consiering the future

of #hristianity in the &est,' incluing the secularisation an neosecularisation ebate,(

iscourse analysis,) stuies of belief an behaviour,* the missiological analyses

provie by +avi osch- an esslie /ewbigin0 an their successors,1 an

iscussion relating to new religious movements an global $entecostalism.2 %he iea

of persistence allows for religious continuity an change, not just emise as a

ominant motif. A further consieration, as expresse by Anrew &alls, is the

" 3n effect putting the concern of the &eber4%awney thesis in reverse 5&hat was the influence of thespirit of #apitalism on the churches6 an i the social structure of the Reforme churches inleaership an membership ma!e that influence more li!ely.' Alister 7c8rath, The Future of Christianit y, Blackwell Manifestos 9:xfor; lac!well, '<<'=. $hilipJen!ins, The Next Christendom. The Coming of Global Christianit y 9:xfor; :xfor >niversity $ress,'<<'=.(

8race +avie, Religion in Britain since 1!" # Belie$ing without Belonging, Making Contem%orar& Britain 'eries 9:xfor; lac!well, "22)=, 8race +avie, Religion in Modern (uro%e # ) Memor&

Mutates, (uro%ean 'ocieties 9:xfor; :xfor >niversity $ress, '<<<=.) #allum 8. rown, The *eath of Christian Britain # +nderstanding 'ecularisation 1,--/--<, Christianit& and 'ociet& in the Modern 0orl 9onon ? /ew or!; Routlege, '<<<=.* Robin 8ill, Churchgoing and Christian (thics, New 'tudies in Christian (thics 1* 9#ambrige,>.. ? /ew or!; #ambrige >niversity $ress, "222=.- +avi Jacobus osch, Transforming Mission # 2aradigm 'hifts in Theolog& of Mission, )merican

'ociet& of Missiolog& 'eries No. 1- 97ary!noll, /..; :rbis oo!s, "22"=.0 esslie /ewbigin, The 3%en 'ecret. )n 4ntroduction to the Theolog& of Mission., Revise e. 98ranRapis, 73; Bermans, "22*=.1 8eorge R Cunsberger an #raig Dan 8eler, es., The Church between Gos%el and Culture. The

(merging Mission in North )merica. 98ran Rapis; Bermans, "22-=.2

+avi 7artin, 2entecostalism# The 0orld Their 2arish 9:xfor; lac!well, '<<'=.

&illiam John Roxborogh $age " *E"0E'<"*

mailto:[email protected]





significance of the avent of a post4#hristian &est couple with a post4&estern

#hristianity"< although this is more a relative statement about the significance of non4

&estern #hristianity than an absolute one about the extinction of #hristianity in the

&est.

%he relationship of a church to its context is not only a matter of creibility ofoctrine, relevance of ritual, correlations of belief an behaviour, or homogeneity of

class culture an language? but also of roles an structures of leaership. As in other

imensions of its life, the organizational of a church is a factor in its ability both to

connect with its environment an to be istinct from it. :rganisation is a form of

language that may or may not connect with the language of the wier community.

:rganization also structures the way in which the community participates in the life of

the church, engages in ecision4ma!ing, an shares in leaership.

Anrew &alls has rawn attention to the way in which the $rotestant missionary

movement foun moels for its organizational expression in the public companies of

the late "1th century."" %his raises the question whether the re4evangelization of the&est might not also involve ta!ing seriously moels of organisation provie by

culture. Although often swampe by other issues, organization is a factor in the failure

or success of a church in a particular society. $eter CFnnerman writes about the

#atholic #hurch in Burope;

%he current crisis . . . is lin!e to the crisis of the transformation of Buropean

society in moernity, in which the basic characteristics of the emerging society

are in iscontinuity with the institutional structure of the church. %his thesis

presupposes that the community of the faithful . . . must evelop institutional

features lin!e to the form an characteristics of public life in the age in which

it fins itself. . . . %he institutional structure of the church is still eeply

imbue with an operating from a concept of society that most Buropeans

consier obsolete."'

A ifficulty in etermining a basis for aressing these issues, which apply to other

traitions as well as #atholic, is that of fining a theological framewor! for tal!ing

about organisation an culture. i!e other branches of theology, ecclesiology tens to

be more concerne with the affirmation of valiity an the justification of ifference

than with exploring the mur!y influence of the worl on the thin!ing an practice of

the church. %o amit the munane origins of something claiming ivine sanction is

rather easily seen as wea!ening oneGs case, especially if ecclesiastical competition isinvolve. &hen religious authority lies in text an hierarchy over against society, it is

not surprising that iscussion of church polity is often concerne with questions of

biblical preceent an theological principle, without reference to context. %heologians

are often by training an philosophy people whose instincts tell them that anything

that has its origins in pragmatism is inherently suspect, if not intrinsically wrong.

"< Huote by John Allen, IRecovering 7ission Cistory 44 through %hir &orl Byes,I National

Catholic Re%orter ) :ctober '<<'."" Anrew . &alls, The Missionar& Mo$ement in Christian 5istor& # 'tudies in the Transmission of

Fait h 97ary!noll, /.. an Binburgh; :rbis oo!s an %K% #lar!, "22-=., ')(f."' $eter CFnermann, IBvangelization of BuropeL,I in Mission in the Third Millennium, e. Robert J.

Mchreiter 97ary!noll 9/..=; :rbis, '<<"=.-*4-1.

&illiam John Roxborogh $age ' *E"0E'<"*



&hen organisational change is riven by practical concerns theological reflection

seems to oscillate been the uncritical an the hostile. Cowever this not only ignores

the existence an importance of correlation between church an environment, it also

fails to provie a theological basis for moerating the organizational enculturation that

ta!es place whether or not there is critical reflection about the process.

3n the long view of history it is obvious that organizational enculturation goes on. 3t is

not surprising that a Jewish sect in the first century too! as its point of eparture the

moel of the synagogue or that the church of the Roman Bmpire evelope a

hierarchy parallel to that of the empire itself.

7onarchy an episcopacy continue these parallels. 3t is no accient that the church

of #alvinGs 8eneva was structure parallel to the political organisation of 8eneva

itself. %he Reformation #hurch in Mcotlan in its epenence on lay power in the face

of a wea! monarchy also foun this moel congenial. &ith the global sprea of

#hristianity, while the moels from &estern churches have been exporte, they havealso been moifie. eaership roles, values an processes in emergent churches in

Asia, Africa an atin America, particularly but not only in inigenous movements,

relate to values an patterns of leaership in local societies. #onfucian values in

orean, %aiwanese, an Mingaporean society not only fin a congenial structure in

$resbyterianism, they also moify those structures to be more consistent with local

leaership expectations.

/ew forms of being church in Burope an /orth America bear a relationship in

structure an values to the changing culture of organisation in those societies.

#hurches such as &illow #ree! an Malebac! an movements such as $romise

eepers can be seen not just as expressions of evangelical faith, but organisations that

eliberately structure themselves in terms of the management theories prevalent in the

culture. Carvar usiness Mchool an a pervasive 7A culture provie a route to the

ream of founing another megachurch that the culture well unerstans. $romise

eepers in its rise an ecline in the "22<s in physical setting an ritual behaviour

use the familiarity of staium, sports culture, pep rally an camp meeting to buil a

movement whose content was religious, but whose form an setting was familiar."(

3f the organisational culture of the environment is uncritically accepte in society, it

may well be uncritically accepte by a church.") :ccasionally religious motives are

rawn on to evelop organisational theories seen as relevant in the corporate worl."*

Mometimes criticism from other traitions raws attention to environmental influence

on the church. Mtructural change in the $resbyterian #hurch of Aotearoa /ew Nealan

"( James A. 7athisen, I%he Mtrange +ecae of the $romise eepers. %he Revealing Mtory of the Risean all but #ontinue Bxistence of #oach 7acOs #hristian 7enOs 7ovement.,I Books and Cultur e'<<".") %he ieas of %om $eters, $eter +ruc!er, #harles Cany an James #ollins an other management

gurus 9the last three of whom are committe #hristians= are relevant to church as to other organzations.Mome see these ieas as the very feature of 5successful6 contemporary churches that explains theireffectiveness an ma!es them attractive as moels for moribun enominations."* Robert . 8reenleaf, +on 7. ric!, an arry #. Mpears, 3n Becoming a 'er$ant6eader, "st e.

9Man rancisco; Jossey4ass $ublishers, "22-=.

&illiam John Roxborogh $age ( *E"0E'<"*



was seen by oubters as a sell out to corporate culture. atin American criticism of

5managerial6 missiology from /orth America, puzzles avocates of church growth

theory who fin it ifficult to unerstan how what they sincerely thought was simply

biblical coul be lai at the oor of their culture an criticise as inappropriate.

A ifficulty in fining a way forwar is that critical analysis of the relationship between church an culture is not well moelle. %he 58ospel an our #ulture6

movement, particularly among /orth American people of Reforme bac!groun, is

thorough in its theology an its processes of consultation. Cowever the fact that it is

almost unremittingly negative about its own context an Bnlightenment heritage

ma!es it ifficult to believe the tools are being applie in a balance manner. A hostile

attitue to &estern culture may also be welcome in churches in countries where

#hristianity has been associate with colonialism, but in their case if contextualisation

is tal!e about it is almost always positive in its affirmation of local culture. 3f we are

not fining anything right with one culture or anything wrong with another it suggests

our critical processes are not yet fully evelope.

A further ivie is between church an context thin!ing informe by #ultural

Anthropology, tening to sympathetic unerstaning an acceptance of local culture,

an that informe by Mociology which has tene to be more concerne with justice

an negative in its evaluation of the environment. &e nee a #hristian theology of

organisation which relates to both anthropology an sociology,"- an which is critical

in the sense of being thorough in its analysis an not ominate by the nee to either

commen or conemn particular influences. %hough they nee evelopment to apply

to organisational culture, theories such as 5critical contextualisation6"0 an the

evaluative framewor! for contextual theology summarise by Mtephen evans"1 may

provie an aequate framewor! for unerstaning an controlling what is going on.

2. Lay Leadership and the organisational culture of Presbyterianism.

$resbyterianism is efine as much by its polity as by its crees. &hile the Reforme

traition of which $resbyterian churches are part trace their origins to #alvin, it is not

simply questions of the sovereignty of 8o an of preestination, or the theology of

#alvinGs 3nstitutes as meiate by later formulations such as the &estminster

#onfession, but a style of church government mar!e by significant lay leaership

which remains central to its ientity.

A typical $resbyterian arrangement, worlwie, is to have parishes le by a 5teachingeler6 who as 5minister of &or an Macrament6 moerates a session or consistory of

a number of 5ruling elers6 chosen from among the members of the congregation.

oth are formally, if not in practice, of equal status in the courts of the church. oth

are oraine, nominally at least for life, though only the 5ministers6 are set apart by

"- #harles R. %aber, To +nderstand the 0orld7 to 'a$e the 0orld # The 4nterface between Missiolog&

and the 'ocial 'ciences, Christian Mission and Modern Cultur e 9Carrisburg, $a.; %rinity $ress

3nternational, '<<<=."0 $aul 8. Ciebert, )nthro%ological Reflections on Missiological 4ssues 98ran Rapis, 7ich.; a!eroo!s, "22)=.0*42'."1 Mtephen . evans, Models of Contextual Theolog y, Faith and Cultures 'eries 97ary!noll, /..;

:rbis oo!s, "22'=.

&illiam John Roxborogh $age ) *E"0E'<"*



laying on of hans by the $resbytery P a regional boy compose of equal numbers of

ministers an elers from other parishes in the area. Blers are oraine by the

congregation by prayer an given a 5right han of fellowship6. oth are require to

assent to the government, worship, iscipline of the church, an are require to give

some form of assent to essential #hristian teaching. Bxcept in Asia this is often the

&estminster #onfession of aith.

/ational $resbyterian boies are usually calle 8eneral Assemblies, sometimes

Mynos, an li!e $resbyteries comprise equal numbers of ministers an elers. %hey

meet annually or sometimes biannually, an employ permanent staff, although

moerators serve for one or two years only. %he allocation of responsibilities between

parishes, presbyteries, assembly meetings, permanent staff an institutions is flui,

but historically $resbyterian parishes retain the right to etermine their minister.

$resbyterians are happy to believe that their form of government appears to be not

inconsistent with biblical preceents an theology, ta!e comfort from the mention of

elers wiely throughout the ible, an are not intereste in igging further. %heygenerally believe that πρεσβυτεροι an επισχοποι are synonymous in the /ew

%estament an thin! that further thought about the value of bishops is unnecessary.

%hey are usually happy for other traitions to ma!e their own ecisions about vali

forms of church polity, but church union iscussions can be testing.

$resbyterian polity has continue to evolve, sometimes seeing values in other

traitions that it might be possible to replicate without actually going own angerous

paths. A measure of centralisation began with the Mcottish 8eneral Assembly in the

"1th #entury imposing its iscipline on congregations, an in the "2th giving

expression to national mission schemes. rom the "20<s staning committees ofAssembly have become common.

%he example of the Mcottish Bvangelical %homas #halmers 9"01<4"1)0="2 remains

important for attaching greater value to the mission of the church than to its structures,

or even to its #onfession, an in that very spirit he increase the role of the laity as he

revive the eaconate as istinct group, engage elers in systematic parish visitation,

an set up Munay Mchools an missionary societies. Cis organisational genius,

applie to church extension an eventually to the formation of the ree #hurch of

Mcotlan at the +isruption of "1)(, erive from a bac!groun of a family business,

interest in science an economics, an the teaching of political economy at the

>niversity of Mt Anrews. Cis restructuring of parish life, not just his preaching, gavespace to emerging mile class entrepreneurs in the church by aapting to the moels

an values of a group ultimately strong enough to forge their own enomination as a

brea!away national church.

&hile the structures of $resbyterianism have serve it well, in recent ecaes a

number of points of tension have arisen in relation to organisation, not just matters of

theology or ethics. %oay laity are calle on to exercise more responsibility for

"2 John Roxborogh, Thomas Chalmers (nthusiast for Mission# The Christian Good of 'cotland and the

Rise of the Missionar& Mo$ement, Rutherford 'tudies in 5istorical Theolog y 9Binburgh; Rutherfor

Couse, "222=.

&illiam John Roxborogh $age * *E"0E'<"*



ministry in the church at the same time as they are usually affirme in their ministry

in the community. &hen volunteer time is at a premium, an in families both parents

usually wor!, choices nee to be mae. &hat for some is an affirmation of gifting an

calling is for others an imposition of unwelcome responsibility. Among some there is

a feeling that barriers to sacramental leaership are artificial, an that the requirement

of lifelong orination for elership or anything else, is unrealistic. Avenues forrecognise service in the name of the church that were for a time provie by the

+eaconess orer, without male equivalent, isappeare with the orination of women.

&hile opening avenues to orination for a larger group of laity respons to the sense

of call of some in lay pastoral ministry, for others it is seen as shifting a problematic

bounary rather than aressing the issue of its valiity, an not all who see!

responsibility an recognition in the exercise of spiritual gifts want to be oraine an

lea sacraments. ay people calle to responsible service often lac! a framewor! for

their affirmation an support outsie the traitional roles of elership an oraine

ministry of wor an sacrament. %he elership certainly increases participation in the

life of the church an has potential to increase the relevance of the church to society,

but its very character ma!es it ifficult for minority views to fin a space unless thereis an explicit commitment to iversity.

3t is a feature of the $resbyterian traition that espite the importance of the elership

to its structure an character, it has faile to resolve a longstaning ambivalence about

ruling elers an the significance of their orination. %he use of the wor orination,

an the requirements which go with it, an views of equivalence of status 9reflecte in

equal numbers of elers an ministers in $resbytery an Assembly= support a view

that elers shoul be consiere as clergy rather than laity.'< %his is reinforce when

the #hurch loo!s to elers to presie at #ommunion or to baptise. :n the other han,

if being clergy is about authorisation to aminister sacraments, then given that elers

are not simply by virtue of being elers authorise to aminister sacraments, it is

argue that they are laity, albeit lay leaers.

3n general elership is evience of lay leaership more than of a ifferent orer of

clergy, but authorisation to presie a sacraments will change this. &hether a

layEclergy istinction is felt strongly or not the point of that istinction lies with

authorisation to presie at the sacraments, not with the use of the wor orination.

. !he Laity in "ther !raditions

7any features once more unique to $resbyterianism are foun in other traitions evengoing bac! to the "-th century. 3n Reformation Bnglan lay commitment was through

parliament an the process coul be escribe as the triumph of the laity.'" rom the

"0th century if not earlier forms of #ongregationalism an the aptist traitions ha

forms of elership even if they i not have $resbyteries or 8eneral Assemblies,

though regional an national boies are now commonplace.

'< 3an rewar, I%he $resbyterian Blership esteray an %oay,I Collo8uium. The )ustralian and

New 9ealand Theological Re$iew ', no. ' 9"2-0=.'" #laire #ross, Church and 2eo%le7 1!"-1::- # The Trium%h of the 6ait& in the (nglish Church,

Fontana 5istor& of (nglan 9onon; ontana, "210=.

&illiam John Roxborogh $age - *E"0E'<"*



rom the mi4"2th century Anglicanism evelope forms of lay representation in

synos an at parish level. %his was particularly pioneere by ishop Melwyn in /ew

Nealan. 3n "2'" $ope $ius Q3 calle on the laity to share in the 5apostolate6 an

congresses were hel in "2*" an "2*0. 3n "2-), Datican 33 eclare that 5%he laity is

calle in a special way to ma!e the church present an operative in those places an

circumstances where only through them can she become the salt of the earth.6 '' 3n"2-* the +ecree on the Apostolate of the aity was promulgate'( an in "211

Christifideles 6aici, on the vocation an mission of the lay faithful.') Mince then lay

involvement in the business of the Roman #atholic #hurch has increase, lay

movements have been encourage,'* an consultation with lay representatives has

become part of the culture of the church.

%he formation of the Bcumenical 7ovement was notable for its lay involvement. %he

founational leaers, 7ott an :lham were both laymen. :ne of the most

controversial ocuments in its history was an enquiry by laymen into the future of

overseas mission.'- A aity +epartment was set up as part of the &orl #ouncil of

#hurches in "2)1'0 an the question of the laity was a major theme in the "2*<s an-<s. Cowever in "20" the epartment merge with others as 5urther consieration of

the laity an their self4unerstaning became less important than the content of their

mission an service in the worl in the struggle against racial, economic an political

injustices.6'1 y "22" it coul be sai that the wor laityG ha 5almost isappeare

from ecumenical ocuments.6'2 %he assimilation of the +epartment of the aity in the

&orl #ouncil of #hurches illustrates not only a shift from 5lay6 to 5#hristian6 as the

critical category, but also the omination of the mission by a secularise agena. %he

&orl #ouncil of #hurches can be seen as a lay movement that first became

clericalise an then aopte the secular agena it ha avocate as being for the laity

to aress. &hether or not a recovery of a broaer vision of mission will require new

attention to lay ministry remains to be seen.(<

#. Lay and Clerical

8raations of ministry an multiplication an contraction of orers are legion in

church history. Although convention, an the theology of many traitions, preserves a

istinction an reserves sacraments for oraine clergy, for others theology an

'' umen 8entium ((, 7. Abbott &alter an #ouncil Datican, The *ocuments of ;atican ', )n )ngelus

Boo! 9onon ? +ublin; 8. #hapman, "2--=.*2'( 3bi. )124*'".') $ope John $aul 33, Christifideles 6aici # 2ost'&nodal )%ostolic (xhortation of 5is 5oliness <ohn

2aul 44 on the ;ocation and the Mission of the 6a& Faithful in the Church and in the 0orl 9Comebush, /M&, Australia; Mt $aul $ublications, "211=.'* or instance the Mt Bgiio #ommunity starte by a stuent in "2-1 an now some )<,<<< strong.Anrea Riccari, 'ant= (gidio # Rome and the 0orl 9onon; Mt $auls, "222=.'- &illiam Brnest Coc!ing, ReThinking Missions a 6a&men=s 4n8uir& after 3ne 5undred >ear s 9/ewor!, onon,; Carper K rothers, "2('=.'0 Blisabeth Aler, Iaity,I in *ictionar& of the (cumenical Mo$ement, e. /icholas oss!y 98eneva,an 8ran Rapis, 73;; &## $ublications, an Bermans, "22"=.'1 3bi. *1'.'2 3bi. *1).(<

IReopening the Bcumenical +iscussion of the aity,I (cumenical Re$iew )*, no. ) 9"22(=.

&illiam John Roxborogh $age 0 *E"0E'<"*



semantics themselves challenge the very iea of laity.(" 3f the laos are the whole

people of 8o, then the leaers are also laity, an some other way is neee to tal!

about ifferent roles an ministries. At the very least laity nee a positive efinition,

not the negative one of being those who are 5not clergy.6 >sage however is selom

long captive to erivation, an people sooner or later fin it necessary to ma!e

istinctions between the generality of #hristians an those esignate with specialiseroles. Although the istinction is more establishe in Roman #atholic, Anglican an

:rthoox traitions, it is also apparent in Reforme thin!ing, espite sharing the

heritage of utherGs return to the principle of 5the priesthoo of all believers.6 7any

question the valiity of the istinction at the same time as they feel compelle to use

it.

ault lines of status an power base on gener, generation an geography, are now

seen to be artificial inicators of capacity for responsible leaership. A lay E clerical

istinction relating to the realms of sacre an secular also has ifficulties. aypeople

have roles in the sacre realm, clerics in the secular. %he realms interpenetrate to the

point that sacre an secular are subjective matters of faith in the mins of iniviualsmore than objective realities. %he issue may be not that there is not a istinction, but

that it is not a istinction which can be reaily associate with a life4time choice for

one role in life rather than another.

An increasingly common view of the laity is that of the evangelical Anglican, Anrew

ir!.(' Ce believes in one laos with equal status an iverse gifts an extens the

priesthoo of all believers to the missionary calling of all believers.(( Ce is concerne

to emphasise mission, engaging with the worl, ta!ing ris!s, being compassionate,

learning, an having confience in the power of the message of Jesus #hrist. %he !ey

role of the clergy is then 5to facilitate the ministry of the whole people of 8o.6 ()

Cowever the late laicise #atholic priest, Arian Castings escribe a 5theology of

the laity6 as a 5well4intentione mista!e,6 an 5anachronistic meieval moel, saly

out of touch with the reality . . . of an increasingly eclericalise #hristian life in

which the category of laityGhas become become basically reunant.6(* A ifficulty is

that categories of leaers an le, experts an others, are the nature of human society.

+oing away with language for ifferentiation of function may not so much remove the

istinction as reuce our ability to reefine it. #ontemporary organisational culture is

easily seen as eliminating hierarchy, when it may more accurately be portraye as

being about reformulating roles an allowing for frequent change.

3f Castings regare the 5mista!e6 of laicism an clericalism as chiefly a Roman

#atholic an :rthoox failing, there is no oubt clericalism has a particular history in

(" Mtephen #harles /eill an Cans4Ruei &eber, The 6a&man in Christian 5istor&, 9onon; M#7,"2-(=. Cans4Ruei &eber, Towards a Common +nderstanding of the Theological Conce%ts of

6ait&?6aos# The 2eo%le of God . 9"222 Scite '<<"T=? available from http;EEwww.wcc4coe.orgEwccEwhatEeucationEweber.html.(' J. Anrew ir!, IMunry %houghts on ay 7inistry in a ast4#hanging &orl,I 'tudia Missionalia

)2, no. ()*4(-' 9'<<<=.(( 3bi., p.()2.() 3bi., p.(*-.(* Arian Castings, Iaity,I in The 3xford Com%anion to Christian Thought, e. Arian Castings,

Alistair 7ason, an Cugh $yper 9/ew or!; :xfor >niversity $ress, '<<<=.




these traitions.(- Cowever, espite utherGs articulation of the priesthoo of all

#hristian believers utheranism can appear as a church for the laity more than of

them. Reforme churches have sessions an consistories of 5ruling elers6 but the

power of specialise theological eucation, ease of articulation, an freeom to atten

meetings lies with the clergy. $entecostalism may run with emonstrate gifting more

than formal qualification an have freeom from traitional structures, but power lieswith personality an systems of leaership that can exclue the voice of the people at

the same time as it affirms their ability to exercise spiritual power in the name of

#hrist. :ne woners if the analogy of sheep an shephers has in practice been ta!en

to suggest leaers an le are ifferent in !in rather than function or position, or as

Cerbert Caag has as!e, i Jesus inten two tiersL(0

3n both #atholic an Bcumenical circles the myria possibilities for lay mission an

lay ministry have create consierable interest, but it is har to sense the exact

significance of this. &hat may be offere by clergy for others to o provie they o

not invae their space is not necessarily well receive. aity have their own ieas of

what they want to o, an these are not always congenial. &hile we nee literaturethat affirms how much the people who mattere an matter in the life of the church

are people who are not clergy, we nee to as! what this is actually saying. +eryc!

ovegrove has compile a fascinating account of things the laity have one in

evangelical $rotestantism,(1 but it is not clear whether the buren of the papers is to

assert the importance of laity or to suggest the irrelevance of a layEclerical istinction.

%he genre of literature which remins us what laity can o an have one rescues

their memory, provies moels for #hristians who are not clergy, an is a 5subaltern6

history from below correcting hierarchical pretensions. 3ts significance may be more

about inicating what #hristians can o than about the category of laity.

or both #atholic an $rotestant clergy have been or still are a male preserve, the

majority of lay were women since their gener restricte them to lay roles. %he

category of 5religious6 create a further category, which might be compare with

$resbyterian elership, an one which is subject to transition ue to changes in church

an society.(2 After Datican 33 women religious were recognise as staning in their

own right an not as a sub4set of laity, or at least no more than the oraine priesthoo

is itself a subset of laity. i!e elers they are not as such authorise to presie at

sacraments. >nli!e elers, sanctity is a prime aim an istinguishing characteristic,

but this concept is problematic as lay spirituality has a ifferent focus from clerical,

an one less li!ely to stimulate recognition for sainthoo.)< Blers unli!e religious

have leaership roles an sit as a court with authority in a congregation. oth are in asense liminal, staning in a threshol between oraine an lay. Cistorically the

liminality of the elership stoo between the church an the worl, an the liminality

(- Russell Mhaw, To 5unt7 to 'hoot7 to (ntertain # Clericalism and the Catholic 6ait y 9Man rancisco;3gnatius $ress c"22(, "22(=.(0 Cerbert Caag, Clerg& @ 6ait& # *id <esus 0ant a TwoTier ChurchL 9%unbrige &ells; urns K:ates, "221=.(1 &. ovegrove +eryc!, The Rise of the 6ait& in ($angelical 2rotestantism 9onon; Routlege '<<',

'<<'=.(2 7arie Mchneiers Manra, Finding the Treasure # 6ocating Catholic Religious 6ife in a New (cclesial

and Cultural Context, Religious 6ife in a New Millennium ;. " 9/ew or!; $aulist $ress, '<<<=.)< &. Astell Ann, 6a& 'anctit&7 Medie$al and Modern # ) 'earch for Model s 9/otre +ame, 3n.;

>niversity of /otre +ome $ress, '<<<=.




of religious stoo alongsie clergy between this worl an the next with greater

emphasis on the later. Mince Datican 33 religious have connecte more with the worl

an face the crisis of the collapse of traitional supports. Mince postmoernism, the

elership has been struggling to fin a role that is spiritual as well as formal. %he iea

of liminality stresses the creativity of change, ritual, an uncertainty an the fact that

interesting things happen on the ege of stable systems. +espite its origins in the wor! of Dictor %urner with primal societies, this evocative concept has been foun helpful

in exploring the marginal state of the church in &estern society.)" Cowever attractive,

its use is limite when the focus is less on the change that is going on as a learning

event, than on the ongoing significance of the relationship between structures an the

effectiveness of the church.

$. Conclusion % Laity and organisational culture

&here theology allows it an the values of the church as an organisation are

consistent with its teaching, then coherence with the organisational culture of society

may be a way by which lay leaership an ministry can flourish an unnecessary barriers to faith an to effective community life remove. &hatever avantage

$resbyterianism may have hel in its formative centuries by virtue of its significant

lay participation, this is no longer a istinctive feature. 7any other traitions provie

ways in which significant lay leaership can be exercise. 3f they are to persist in a

changing environment, all traitions nee to aress the missiological question

whether those ways are sounly base an effective.

)" Alan J. Roxburgh, The Missionar& Congregation7 6eadershi%7 @ 6iminalit y, e. Alan /eely, C.&ayne $ip!in, an &ilbert Mhen!, Christian Mission and Modern Cultur e 9Carrisburg, $A; %rinity

$ress 3nternational, "220=.

&illiam John Roxborogh $age "< *E"0E'<"*



&ibliography

&illiam John Roxborogh $age "" *E"0E'<"*

Lay Leadership and the Future of a Reformed Christian Tradition

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