The book “All Are Called”, published by the Church of England’s Council for Education, says, “For all people are created in the image of God and are called to be God’s people, to be the Church, to be God’s servants and to be the people of the Kingdom. God’s marvelous grace and love have given us this common calling. This calling is for everyone, and there is no distinction. There is no special status in the kingdom of God. Our callings as well as our duties are not differentiated according to priesthood ordination.”
The church is made up of believers, so there should be no separation in the church. Whether they are pastors or laymen, all are of the same status; the difference is only in their giftings and responsibilities. People in the church, whether pastors or laymen, are a group of God’s people called out through Christ’s saving grace, sanctified in the world to become a group belonging to God alone. They are also sent to be God’s witnesses in the world through holy life, servant service, and the proclamation of the gospel, so that people may be reconciled to God. There is no honor or inferiority in the church, nor does the church belong to the pastors alone. Pastors are not superior, nor are laymen inferior. The healthy functioning of the church requires the commitment of a full-time pastor, but it also requires the participation of the believers. We do not want “laymen” but committed disciples. We want pastors to work closely with believers, nurturing them, growing them, and building up the church together.
The Bible also teaches us about the principles discussed above. These teachings include, first, God’s creation. Every person is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26). Every person is equal in God’s sight. The second is that every person is redeemed by the blood of Christ and receives the same Holy Spirit as well as the same baptism into the church, and there is no difference (Eph. 4:1-6). Our baptisms are the same, and we receive the same Holy Spirit, so how can our identities be different? Thirdly, in the Holy Communion, everyone receives the same bread and drinks from the same cup (1 Cor. 10:17), and there is no distinction between the noble and the lowly, no matter how honorable they are, they all have the same bread and the same cup. In general, regardless of whether we are pastors or laymen, the call we receive is the same, that is, to build up the church and fulfill the mission entrusted by God.