How the Church Got Here ยท Chapter 3
Who leads the church, and do you have a calling too?
Pastors preach and baptize. Councils make decisions. But Luther said something surprising: every baptized Christian is a priest. Today you'll find out who leads the church, and where you fit.
Start this chapterLeaders
In the ELCA, pastors are called to preach, teach, and lead worship, and to baptize and share the Lord's Supper. Deacons are ordained too. They are called to Word and Service, often in places like hospitals, schools, and outreach ministries.
Every congregation also has a church council. The congregation chooses its members to make decisions together. Congregations belong to a synod, a group of churches in one region, led by a bishop. The whole ELCA has one presiding bishop.
In 1520 Luther wrote that all baptized Christians are priests. Today this idea is often called the priesthood of all believers. A farmer, a parent, and a shoemaker serve God in their work just as truly as a monk does.
This is called vocation. God calls every person to serve others wherever they are: at school, at home, on a team, or at work.
Read it in your Bible
- 1 Peter 2:9. Peter tells ordinary believers that they are God's own people, a royal priesthood, called out of darkness into God's light to tell what God has done.
Words to know
- Pastor. A leader called to preach, teach, baptize, and share the Lord's Supper. Pastor means shepherd. A pastor cares for a community like a shepherd cares for sheep.
- Deacon. A leader called to serve, often in hospitals, schools, and outreach. Deacon comes from a Greek word for servant. Many see the seven helpers in Acts 6, who made sure widows had food, as the first deacons.
- Council. Members elected by a congregation to make decisions together. The church isn't run by one person. Members lead together.
- Bishop. The leader of a synod, a regional group of congregations. ELCA bishops are elected. They care for pastors and churches.
- Vocation. God's call to serve neighbors wherever you are, at school, home, or work. You don't have to wait until you're grown up. You have a calling now.