Baptism establishes the “priesthood of all believers” and the discipleship and ministry of each individual Christian, and the baptismal covenant provides a foundational document that leads us into ministry.  Each time we repeat these vows, we are committing ourselves to a life of ministry, but if we posed the question: “Who are the ministers of the Church?” many people would limit the list to priests and bishops.  If, however, we look at the answer to this question as it appears in the Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer, we read: “The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests and deacons” (p. 855).  The ministry of the Church is most effective when lay persons, bishops, priests and deacons are working together as a team.  When one of these roles is absent or underutilized, the Church’s ministry is incomplete.

Registration is now be taken through August 15, 2011, for those wishing to enroll in the Diocese of Kentucky's School of Ministry, a two-year program for individuals interested in diaconal and intentional lay ministry.