lay minister
Nonordained church helper
A lay minister is a person who performs religious duties and leadership roles within a church but has not been formally ordained as clergy.
Lay ministers may lead worship services, provide pastoral care, teach, or administer sacraments depending on the denomination's rules.
The term emphasizes that the person remains part of the laity—the ordinary membership—rather than the professional priesthood: She served as a lay minister for fifteen years before deciding to pursue ordination.
- elderSenior figure of authority
- preacherReligious sermon deliverer
- congregationAssembled group of worshippers
- pulpitChurch speaking platform
- sermonClergy's worship address
volunteer · parish · parish council · ordination · vestry · worship · hymn singing · Sunday · Sunday school · Bible study · prayer group · pews · hymns · pastoral · usher · sacrament · communion · liturgy
- ministerspremier, foreign secretary, cabinet secretary, secretary of state
- church helpersacolyte, altar boy, altar server, server, sacristan
- church rolesbishop, deacons, priest, pastor, lay readers
- church staffpastor, altar boy, parish priest, senior pastor, associate pastor
- church volunteersusher, greeter, lector, reader, altar server
- clergypriest, bishop, pope, nun, monk
lay ministerordained minister
Sanctioned religious authority figure
priest · clergy · clergyman · clergywoman · pastor
lay ministerseminarian
Person studying for priesthood
theologian · monk · nun · friar · monastic
minister, lays, laid, laying, layman, laywoman, laypeople, layperson, ministers