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Servicetoward a THEOLOGY of ECCLESIAL LAY MINISTRY United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Together in God’s TOWARD A Service THEOLOGY OF ECCLESIAL LAY MINISTRY A downloadable resource from USCCB Together in God’s Service: Toward a Theology of Ecclesial Lay Ministry, Papers from a Colloquium was a project of the bishops’ Subcommittee on Lay Ministry of the Committee on the Laity. It was approved for pub- lication by the members of the Subcommittee and by the members of the Committee on the Laity. It is authorized for publication by the undersigned. Monsignor Dennis M. Schnurr General Secretary NCCB/USCC Copyright © 1998, United States Catholic Conference, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Contents Foreword ................................................................................................................ 1 Ecclesial Lay Ministers: An Overview ......................................................................... 2 BY ZENI FOX, PH.D. Toward a Theology of Ecclesial Lay Ministry ............................................................... 14 BY JAMES HEFT, SM, PH.D. Baptism and the Baptized in Church Leadership ........................................................... 30 BY ZOILA L. DIAZ, D. MIN. Ministry in the Catholic Church Today: The Gift of Some Historical Trajectories .............. 42 BY THOMAS O’MEARA, OP, PH.D. Biblical Foundations for Christian Ministry ................................................................ 52 BY DIANNE BERGANT, CSA, PH.D. Lay People and Church Governance: Oxymoron or Opportunity ...................................... 62 BY REV. JOHN BEAL, J.C.D. Magisterial Teaching ............................................................................................... 78 BY FRANCIS CARDINAL GEORGE, OMI, PH.D. Ecclesial Lay Ministry in a Local Church ������������������������������������������������������������������� 94 BY MOST REV. JAMES T. HOFFMAN, D.D., J.C.L. Refections on the Experience of Ecclesial Lay Ministry ............................................... 100 BY MOST REV. HOWARD J. HUBBARD, D.D. Colloquium Questions ........................................................................................... 109 Colloquium Participants ......................................................................................... 116 TOGETHER IN GOD’S SERVICE Foreword his book contains materials from the Theological Colloquium: “Toward a Theology of Ecclesial Lay Ministry,” which was held at the University of Dayton, May 11–12, 1997. The colloquium was T part of the Leadership for Ecclesial Lay Ministry Project of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops Subcommittee on Lay Ministry. The first purpose of the project, funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, was to provide infor- mation and other forms of assistance to diocesan bishops and their advisors/collaborators in order for them to understand the implications and scope of the phenomenon of ecclesial lay ministry in the United States and to enhance their abilities for leadership in related areas. The early initiatives of the project (surveys, focus groups, forum with professional ministerial associations) identified the necessity of a more adequate theological basis for ecclesial lay ministry. The colloquium was a major effort to address that area, which the bishops identified as a priority. Participants at the colloquium were identified and invited by the subcommittee on the basis of their theological competence and particular interest. The subcommittee also was intentional about bringing together a group that represented a mixture of backgrounds (lay, religious, clerical), ethnic origins, and theological viewpoints. A list of the participants is included with these materials. The goals of the colloquium were (1) to advance an articulation of the theological issues raised by the experience of ecclesial lay ministry; (2) to recommend next steps for the subcommittee to foster the development of ecclesial lay ministry; and (3) to model how bishops and academic and pastoral theolo- gians can work together in fostering the mission of Jesus Christ. In preparation for the colloquium, the nine papers that make up the bulk of these materials were written and distributed to the participants. The participants read the papers before coming to Dayton and sent questions (also included with these materials) for discussion that were grouped by the staff into six categories. The process for the colloquium included small-group discussions based on the six catego- ries in addition to general discussions. These papers have already been distributed to all the bishops of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. We publish them now for a wider audience in the hope that they will be a resource for all those reflecting on the issues they address. We are grateful to the steering committee for the colloquium: Zeni Fox, Ph.D., chair; James L. Heft, SM, Ph.D.; Bishop Gerald Kicanas; David Power, OMI, S.T.D.; Elissa Rinere, CP, J.C.D.; and Bishop Emil Wcela. We are also grateful to the writers of these papers and to each of the participants whose contributions made for a stimulating and fruitful colloquium. Finally, we are grateful to the Lilly Endowment, whose support has made this project possible. NCCB Subcommittee on Lay Ministry Most Reverend Phillip F. Straling, Chairman Most Reverend Tod D. Brown Most Reverend John C. Dunne Most Reverend James R. Hoffman Most Reverend Gerald Kicanas Most Reverend Edward U. Kmiec Most Reverend Armando Ochoa Most Reverend Emil Wcela 1 TOGETHER IN GOD’S SERVICE Ecclesial Lay Ministers: An Overview BY ZENI FOX, PH.D. The U.S. bishops have chosen the term “ecclesial minister” to describe lay people who have professionally pre- pared for ministry; no fuller definition exists. Therefore, in order to describe these new ministers in a preliminary way, this paper draws upon sociological studies that use various parameters. What they do in ministry, demographic data, paths to ministry education and formation, support for them and their ministry, supervision, collegiality, and theological self-understanding are presented. Throughout, ecclesiasti- cal and theological questions that emerge from the data are posed. (This paper is a summary of chapters 1-4 in a larger published work by the author: New Ecclesial Ministers [Kansas City, Mo.: Sheed and Ward, 1997].) Preface he purpose of this paper is to describe, as phenomenologically as possible, “ecclesial lay ministers.” The first draft was critiqued by the steering committee, the second by representatives of lay associa- T tions and organizations. The purpose of the consultations was to ask whether this overview reflects our experience of ecclesial lay ministry in the Church in the United States, and can serve as a valid starting point for the work of the colloquium. Overwhelmingly, the response was that, in general, the paper does reflect the present situation. Furthermore, it has been strengthened by the suggestions from the consultations. Introduction In 1980, the U.S. Catholic bishops wrote Called and Gifted. In it, they described the laity’s call to min- istry and in that context commented on a new phenomenon that they observed in their dioceses: “lay persons who have prepared for professional ministry in the Church.” They called these laity “ecclesial ministers.”1 However, no description of their preparation or roles was given. Still today, the boundaries for defining who is and who is not an ecclesial minister have not been drawn. As we strive to reflect theologically on this new reality at the colloquium, the issues involved in definition—in delineation— will confront us, although that is not our primary task. In writing this paper, therefore, it is necessary to make some arbitrary decisions and to describe ecclesial lay ministers in what can only be a limited way. Our corporate reflection on what is happening will enable us to engage more adequately in this task of describing and defining. Most of the sociological research that has been done studies ecclesial lay ministers working in min- isterial roles in parishes; therefore, most of what is presented in this paper is about parish ministers. The existing research uses varying norms for defining the populations to be studied. One norm is usually employment, but often both part-time and full-time ministers are considered. However, some formal leaders volunteer their services, even “full time.” Some studies include ministers who are members of religious communities; others do not. Sometimes persons in a particular ministry position are consid- ered; sometimes the focus is on those exercising leadership in the parish community; and sometimes a 2 TOGETHER IN GOD’S SERVICE credential delineates who is part of the sample. In an effort simply to look at what is happening in the Church, I will present this research without an evaluation of the norms, but I will indicate what they are in the endnotes. (Of course there is a danger in this “blending” of diverse studies.) At the collo- quium, we can assess the theological implications of what we see and can strive to define the category we are considering. What They Do: Positions in Ministry One way to approach a description of ecclesial lay ministers is by studying some new roles that have emerged in the Church in the United States since the Second Vatican Council. The oldest is that of the director of religious education (although nomenclature varies); the first DREs date to the mid-1960s. (It is worth noting that these developments pre-date a perceived clergy shortage, as well as the decline
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