By Byeong
I learned an important lesson from a church where I served as an associate pastor.
After I translated Dr. Melvin’s first book, Can the Pastor Do It Alone?, into Korean, our senior pastor asked me to train laypeople using the principles in the book. The training was announced to the congregation, and about nineteen people enrolled. It was the first time I had led this kind of ministry.
After completing the training, we established a Lay Pastors Ministry in the church. The newly trained lay pastors began caring for fellow church members just as they had been taught. Their enthusiasm was remarkable. In fact, they became involved in ministry far more actively than anyone had expected. Our church had never experienced this level of lay participation before, so it was something entirely new for both the congregation and the senior pastor.
Unfortunately, the rapid mobilization made the senior pastor uncomfortable. Instead of seeing it as a healthy sign of spiritual growth, he became concerned about how quickly the ministry was expanding.
Another mistake proved even more significant.
When the training was completed, we should have held a public commissioning service. The lay pastors should have been commissioned before the entire congregation and presented with certificates during a Sunday worship service or another public gathering. Public commissioning is not merely a ceremony; it is the church’s official recognition of a person’s ministry.
Instead, our senior pastor decided not to hold a public commissioning service. He called each lay pastor into his office individually and presented the certificate in private. Looking back, it was a very unusual scene.
I understand why he made that decision. He was probably concerned that members who had not participated in the training might feel disappointed or excluded. Perhaps he viewed the ministry as simply another church program rather than recognizing it as a biblical ministry entrusted to gifted believers.
Because the lay pastors were never publicly commissioned, they never received public recognition or authority from the congregation. As a result, they struggled to carry out their ministry with confidence. Before long, the ministry lost its momentum and eventually came to an end.
Don’t Miss the Opportunity
Even today, some people in that church regret that the ministry ended so quickly. They believe God had given their church an opportunity to renew and strengthen its ministry, but they failed to embrace it. Since then, no similar opportunity has come.
God sometimes opens a unique door for His people. Those opportunities do not come whenever we want them. When God presents such a moment, we should not hesitate. We should recognize it, step through the open door, and faithfully carry out what He has entrusted to us.
A similar situation occurred in another church.
After I completed the lay pastor training, the participants were highly motivated and eager to begin serving. They were prepared to step into ministry immediately. However, the senior pastor was not ready to commission them.
He told me, “I want to go to Prayer Mountain and pray before commissioning them.“
I respected his desire to pray, but the commissioning kept being postponed.
One month later, I called to ask whether the commissioning had taken place.
“Not yet,” he replied. “I’m still praying.“
Another month passed. I called again.
“I’m still praying.“
Eventually, the commissioning never happened.
The people were ready. Their training was complete. Their hearts were willing. But the door was never opened.
In the end, the opportunity was lost.
Preparation is essential, but there comes a time when leaders must act. If we wait indefinitely after God has already prepared His people, we may unintentionally prevent the very ministry God intended to begin.