Ministry is what every Christian does, as 'co-workers with God' (Colossians 4:11) in the church and in the world. Ministry is not a rare vocation or a privileged office but belongs to the nature of the new covenant and comes with baptism. Ministers' therefore may be bus conductors, pastors, health care workers, deacons, managers, religious educators, cleaners or whatever. Every vocation dedicated to God has a special sanctity. In ministry we employ the 'charisms' or 'spiritual gifts' given to all Christians with their baptism. They are given by Christ to his body to promote unity-in- -diversity (Romans 12:4), and build up the church (Ephesians 4:13).
Ministry is about serving. The Greek word means to attend upon someone. The New Testament words for ministry are words of action and service, not of power and honour. In the New Testament diakonia may refer to a particular action of the church (Romans 12:7), or all its ministerial functions (Ephesians 4:12).
'Ministry is:
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doing something |
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for the advent of the kingdom; |
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in public; |
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on behalf of a christian community; |
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which is a gift received in faith, baptism and ordination; and |
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which is an activity with its own limits and identity within a diversity of ministerial actions... We can define ministry [as] ... 'the public activity of a baptized follower of
Jesus Christ flowing from the Spirit's charism and an individual personality on behalf of a christian community to witness to, serve and realize the kingdom of God' |
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