Workplace Ministry
Is there a hierarchy of vocations that separates clergy and laity?
The purpose of the Lausanne Workplace Ministry issue network is to assist the church to equip the scattered people of God (laos) for the advancement of God’s kingdom in and through the world of work. We seek to do this by means of:
- Thought leadership
- Strategic direction
- Educational and formational initiatives
- Resource development
- Global, regional, and local partnerships
The Lausanne Workplace Ministry issue network focuses on redeeming and reclaiming the whole area of work, vocation, and ministry in all areas of life, through affirming the whole people of God as prophets, priests, and kings. This affirmation essentially equips every believer to live and serve as a full-time minister and missionary in everyday living, breaking down the sacred-secular divide that is so pervasive in Christian culture and the hierarchy of vocations that separates clergy and laity. The best model for human work is God’s cooperative work in a Trinitarian creedal approach, encompassing one mission of God, through their three diverse works of the creation (Father—Genesis 1:26-28, Genesis 2, Psalms 8, 104), evangelism (Son—Matthew 28:16-20), and re-creative/love commissions or commands (Holy Spirit—Matthew 22:34-40, Romans 5:1-8, Romans 8:18-27).
Since the 2004 Lausanne Forum for World Evangelization in Pattaya, Thailand, and the publication of Lausanne Occasional Paper #40, ‘Marketplace Ministry’, we have seen greater awareness of workplace ministry. Even though many more pastors and clergy understand and concur with the biblical basis, in practice we are still a long way from truly mobilizing the whole people of God to be engaged in ministry and mission through everyday life and work (paid or unpaid).
We urge church leaders to understand the strategic impact of ministry in the workplace and to mobilize, equip and send out their church members as missionaries into the workplace, both in their own local communities and in countries that are closed to traditional forms of gospel witness. The Cape Town Commitment II-A-3, II-A-7
Current efforts are:
- To work with the Theology of Work (TOW) group in promoting their complete biblical commentary on work and work issues, integrating and contextualizing in different cultures and contexts.
- To engage academics and theological institutions to re-envision theological education and the equipping of pastors to be equippers with respect to vocation, work, and ministry.
- To network and work with IFES, Navigators, Cru, and other graduate (alumni) professional groupings to teach, support, and help build ministries to equip and commission believers into the workplace.
- To bring about a more holistic approach to workplace ministry, including manual labour, production, and domestic work rather than just professionals and businesses.
- Update resources such as a bibliography, and ministries and theological institutions with a focus on workplace ministry.
