Vocation and Local Lay-Pastors

Vocations and callings are as varied and unique as the individuals God has made – which is both a blessing and a challenge: a blessing because God calls people in so many different ways and places; a challenge because being Church means organising our structures in ways that enable people to fulfil those wide and varied callings.

I have the privilege of glimpsing into two very different, but equally valuable, vocations. One where lay people serve churches and their communities with pastoral care and leadership through the recently established Local Lay-Pastor office; the other where people respond to the needs of a wide range of people beyond gathered church spaces through chaplaincy.

‘What’s this new Local Lay-Pastor thing all about?’ I hear you say. Well, it is not really new. The office might be, but the work of lay people serving church communities in such a way is as old as the Christian church itself – and, of course, lay people leading and providing pastoral care empowered the Methodist movement. All it took was someone to recognise the potential and organise the right structures to enable people to serve.

The new Local Lay-Pastor office follows in this same tradition. Our society has changed, the church is changing and our role as a Christian church is to discern what God is up to and support and help nurture it. A few years ago, the Methodist Conference recognised that across the connexion, increasing numbers of lay people were providing pastoral care in a significant way, that people were looking to them as their church leaders and that God was working through them to bring care and transformation. The Conference took the bold step to embrace this vocation and provide the structures needed to equip and enable it.

I have the joy of being part of implementing that bold step. There is nothing quite like sitting opposite someone who has been serving the church in such a way and saying, ‘We recognise and value the ministry God has called you to. You are a Local Lay-Pastor and in the life of the church it is a really important calling.’

One of the questions I am asked most is, ‘Well what does a Local Lay-Pastor actually do?’ Again, this is as varied as the contexts people are called to. No two Local Lay-Pastors serve in the same way – the vocation arises out of the local circumstances in the way that God is calling people to join in with God’s mission. Some are voluntary, some are employed, some work full time, some offer a few hours each week. The best way to find out is to speak to Local Lay-Pastors.

This is where the challenge lies – when we have an office that is as varied as the contexts people serve in, how do we organise ourselves to enable and equip them? We have done our best to create a framework for the Local Lay-Pastor office that recognises some of the common qualities and competencies needed to fulfil the role. The learning and development supports people in growing and nurturing their gifts and skills, so they are able to reflect on their practice and respond to the needs in their context. The office does not focus on creating people who can ‘do’ certain things, but developing the characteristics that enable lay people to provide healthy pastoral care and leadership in our church communities.

Society has changed, the church is changing – our vocations are changing. If you are wondering what God might be calling you to be and do, then you might be interested in looking at our Exploring programme.

You can find this year's resources for Vocations Sunday here.