No More Volunteers

It’s time for the church to stop relying on volunteers. That sounds like a harsh thing to say. More than ever before, the work of the church is being done by lay people, and by people who are not getting paid. Many people have found their sense of belonging more from the time and effort they put into the church than even from worship. But we need to stop talking about and relying on volunteers, because when we do, we make it clear that we don’t understand what the church is about, or why people are giving their time and talent.

The invitation that Jesus offers us us is not just to receive the care and attention of the church, but to follow him. In John’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that servants are not greater than their master, and messengers are not greater than the one who sent them. We are called to be the disciples of Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve. That means that sooner or later, if we are serious about that calling, we are going to be expected to stop being served and to start serving others.

There are no volunteers in the church, only ministers....

This post originally appeared in the March 2022 issue of Anglican Life.

Click here to read the whole article.