By Byeong
During the past six years, I have visited approximately 150 churches and trained around 850 lay pastors to serve in the PACE Ministry. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my ministry.
The PACE Ministry brings satisfaction to both senior pastors and lay pastors. Senior pastors often testify that their pastoral burden becomes much lighter because caring responsibilities are shared with trained lay ministers. At the same time, lay pastors find great joy in participating in a meaningful and worthwhile ministry that advances the Kingdom of God. Rather than remaining passive church members, they become active partners in pastoral care.
Through this ministry, I have observed that about 10 percent of a congregation possesses the gifts needed for this type of caring ministry. For example, in a church of 100 members, approximately 10 people usually respond to the invitation to become lay pastors. This confirms that pastoral care is a spiritual gift given to certain believers.
Some people attend the training simply because they are interested in learning about the ministry. Although they complete the training, they soon stop serving because they discover that they do not have a genuine gift or passion for caring for others. Learning the principles is valuable, but effective pastoral care requires more than knowledge—it requires a God-given caring heart. That is why the PACE Ministry is a gift-oriented ministry rather than simply a skill-oriented program.
At the end of the Training Manual, participants complete a motivation checklist that measures their desire to serve. Most participants rate themselves around seven on a ten-point scale, while only one or two people usually rate themselves nine or ten. Those who rate themselves ten are expressing a wholehearted commitment to this ministry. They are saying, in effect, “I want to serve in this ministry for the rest of my life.”
These highly committed people should become members of the Ministry Leadership Group (MLG). They not only practice the PACE Ministry faithfully but also desire to see it flourish throughout their church. They encourage other lay pastors, help organize the ministry, and work closely with the senior pastor to strengthen the caring ministry of the congregation.
This is how lay leadership is developed. However, becoming a lay leader requires more than enthusiasm. A person’s faithfulness, commitment, spiritual maturity, and loyalty to the church should be tested over time. As these men and women continue serving faithfully, they grow into trusted lay leaders who become true disciples of Jesus Christ and valuable partners in building a healthy and caring church.
One of the greatest fruits of the PACE Ministry is not only that people receive pastoral care, but that faithful lay leaders are raised up to serve the church for years to come.