lay minister

Lay ministry is a term used for ministers of faith in Christian denominations who are not ordained in their faith tradition. Lay ministers are people who are elected by the church, full-time or part-time. They may have theological degrees and training, which may be required in certain instances, but not all lay ministries require this qualification. Lay ministers are generally chosen in small communities where it is difficult to find professional clergy to serve roles, and in which lay ministers are appropriate to fulfill the pastoral duties (e.g, a Catholic hospital chaplain does not have to be an ordained priest). In most Protestant churches, deacons, Sunday School teachers, youth ministers, and praise teams are considered lay ministry positions.