Why become a Commissioned
                                     Lay Ecclesial Minister



Part 3

Why should lay ministers serving in pastoral positions invest the time and energy to go through the process of being credentialed and recognized as lay ecclesial ministers?

A short answer: The process will serve to deepen their ministerial identity as disciples called and gifted for public ecclesial service.

This is what those who have been publically commissioned discover. I have seen this verified over and over again. And, I have experienced it myself. Preparing to be commissioned by the Bishop, for public service in the local church; celebrating the Rite with family, friends and other faithful believers; the process was transforming.

But I would suggest that we move beyond the “what do I get out of it” approach and take a look at the impact of credentialing on the larger Church community. This moves us to address a long answer to the question posed above. Having lay ecclesial ministers credentialed through certification and commissioning will also strengthen our local church, the Diocese of Lansing, through the practices of good stewardship and Eucharistic celebration. (Please see part 2 of this article.)  I believe these practices, cultivating the gifts we are given through intentional formation and celebrating God’s abundant gifts along with various ministers’ faithful response to the call to service, will bear fruit in related areas. These include:

(1) fostering a broader interest in quality adult faith formation,
(2) educating the faithful on the role and importance of trained lay pastoral leaders, and
(3) providing our youth and young adults a “vocations” model for lay ecclesial ministry.

Where are we now?

In the Bishop’s newly published document, Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord; A Resource for Guiding the Development of Lay Ecclesial Ministry (CWVL), the lay ecclesial minister is characterized as a person who is

•        authorized for public ministry (by a competent Church authority)
•        exercising leadership in a specific area of ministry
•        working in collaboration with pastors of the Church
•        prepared and appropriately formed ( OR “credentialed”) for the
level of responsibility assumed in the position of ministry
See: page 10, CWVL

In the Diocese of Lansing there are approximately 400 men and women listed in the Diocesan Directory who are currently serving in positions of lay ecclesial ministry. These lay ministers can be grouped into four categories:


1.        Those appropriately formed who have been Commissioned

2.        Those appropriately formed who have not requested Commissioning, because the process is not of personal value (and, in some cases, may actually seem burdensome). Some lay                 ministers do not see that having a credential of “being publically commissioned” makes any difference in their effectiveness, pastoral presence or working relationships. “Why bother?” is their question.

3.        Those who are at various stages of formation - including those appropriately formed - who have reservations about the purpose and value of commissioning lay leaders; they are concerned that we are creating unnecessary distinctions among all lay ministers (the ministry         of all the Baptized Faithful)  or focusing undue attention on a new privileged class. “I don’t need or want the recognition,” is a position held by some pastoral ministers in this diocese.

4.        Those who have not committed to (or participated in) a formal process of ministry  formation because of time and money constraints, a lack of pastoral support or not having  developed a personal “buy-in” of the process.


To date, 106 women and men have been through the process of ministry formation and public commissioning. What about the other 300? Should they be invited? Encouraged? Required to “get credentialed”? These are important questions.

Next time we will look at policies and procedures for certification and commissioning.
______________________________________________________________________________________