Learning from Bad Experiences: The Role of Lay Readers
The Divine Service is not a stage for participation but a place where Christ speaks through His called servant.
One discussion that has surfaced within the LCMS is whether laypeople should read the appointed Scripture lessons during the Divine Service. My conviction is that they should not, based on Article XIV of the Augsburg Confession, which teaches that “no one should publicly teach or administer the sacraments without a rightly ordered call.” See also Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope §§24–25, defining the ministry of the Word as preaching, teaching, and administering the sacraments.
This principle includes the public reading of the Word in the Divine Service, which belongs to the Office of the Holy Ministry. The pastor, as the one called to this office, is entrusted with the public proclamation of God’s Word—both in reading and preaching. The task is not merely functional but theological: the pastor stands before God’s people as the one sent to proclaim His Word in season and out of season, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable the passage may be.
Lessons from Experience
My concern also comes from personal experience. In prior congregations outside the LCMS, I witnessed the confusion and distraction that can come when this responsibility is shared with laity. On several occasions, lay readers visibly hesitated or skipped over difficult words in passages like Romans 13:13, which warns against “orgies and drunkenness.” At other times, readers expressed clear discomfort or disagreement while reading passages such as Ephesians 5:22–33 or 1 Timothy 2:8–15; texts that speak directly about God’s order for men and women in the church and home. These examples reflect the pastoral truth of 1 Cor. 14:33-40, namely that the Divine Service should be conducted “decently and in good order”.
In one particularly difficult moment, a lay reader used the time before the Scripture reading to share personal struggles that were deeply inappropriate for the setting. The result was that the focus of the service shifted entirely away from the Word of God and the Gospel. It was a painful but clear reminder that the Divine Service is not a platform for personal expression, but a sacred moment where Christ speaks to His Church. The Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration X, 9–10, reminds us that ceremonies exist to serve the Gospel, not human opinion or display.
Theological and Pastoral Implications
When pastors delegate the public reading of Scripture, it can unintentionally erode both the pastor’s sense of duty and the congregation’s understanding of the pastoral office. Over time, this can lead to a broader pattern of transferring pastoral responsibilities—such as shut-in visits or other spiritual care—to the laity.1
In fact, I am aware of situations where pastors have even permitted laypeople to take the Lord’s Supper to shut-ins on their behalf. While perhaps done with good intentions, this practice steps beyond what Christ has entrusted to His called ministers. The administration of Word and Sacrament is not a matter of convenience, but a sacred trust given to those who have been placed into the Office of the Ministry (AC V; SA III.X, 1–3). When such responsibilities are delegated to the laity, it blurs the distinction between the priesthood of all believers and the pastoral office and risks diminishing the divine order established for the care of souls (Treatise §§60–61; Ap XIII, 12).
Not a Matter of Adiaphora
Some within our Synod may regard the question of who reads the lessons as a matter of adiaphora—that is, something neither commanded nor forbidden by Scripture. Yet in practice, it has proven to be anything but neutral. When neighboring LCMS congregations allow lay readers, including women, it creates confusion and tension for pastors who are striving to remain faithful to their call and to the confessional understanding of the pastoral office.2
Faithful pastors who retain the practice of reading the lessons themselves often face the frustration of members saying, “But the LCMS church down the road lets laypeople do it—why can’t we?” Such inconsistency among us undermines the pastoral office and weakens the unity of our confession. It pressures pastors to compromise out of fear of being perceived as “too rigid” rather than being recognized as faithful stewards of what Christ has entrusted to His ministers.3
If something causes confusion, division, or conflict among the faithful—especially when it blurs the line between the Office of the Ministry and the priesthood of all believers—it can no longer rightly be considered adiaphora. As Luther and the confessors made clear, adiaphora ceases to be indifferent when it is used in a way that confesses falsely or causes offense (FC SD X, 10–13).
A Lesson Worth Remembering
The lesson I’ve learned from these experiences is this: when the reading and proclamation of God’s Word are kept within the Office of the Ministry, the Church is protected from confusion and the temptation to rely on human methods to make God’s Word “effective.” The power is not in the reader, but in the Word itself (Isa. 55:10-11; AC V).
As St. Paul reminds us, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The pastor is called to ensure that the Word is heard clearly and reverently, without distraction, because in that Word, Christ Himself is present and active for His people.4
AC XIV; Treatise §§67–72: the call authorizes one to act publicly on behalf of the Church.
Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration X, 10–13: ceremonies cease to be adiaphora when they obscure our confession or cause offense.
AC VII and Apology VII/VIII, 33–34: unity is not uniformity of ceremonies but concord in doctrine and right administration of the sacraments.
Apology XXIV, 79–81: the Mass and preaching office exist so that “we may obtain faith and comfort from the Word.”
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My LCMS church uses lay readers, including women, and I just assumed it was a general LCMS practice. I am from a conservative presbyterian background. I had never considered the legitimacy of using lay readers, but having women up in front of the church reading the Scripture always troubles me. In over five years of attendance, it still makes me uncomfortable every time it happens, as I believe it to be a violation of Scripture.
I would have liked a dive into the arguments for lay readers, such as implied by the subtitle "stage for participation". I haven't heard any arguments for it beyond that (i.e., greater lay participation in the Divine Service), which so often seems to be the argument for so much innovation in the Divine Service. I've never quite understood the view that, "People will get bored with the Divine Service if we don't get them involved and engaged with different roles or otherwise adapt the Divine Service to serve the desires of the congregation." The congregation has a role and plenty to do in its role. I wonder if there are other proffered reasons for wanting to allow lay readers while the pastor sits there and listens.
And I do think that it can be somewhat jarring when there are lay readers, particularly when they switch them up to have multiple lay readers (one for the old testament, one for the epistle, and yet another for the new testament). Part of what I like about the pastor doing the readings is that he sort of blends more into the background if you will. I don't notice him as much as I do what he's saying or doing because I've gotten use to him filling the role.
But what I can't stand when I've gone to a church that does have lay readers is when the pastor is anything less that sitting in rapt attention as the Word is being read. Just because there is a lay reader doesn't mean someone isn't looking at you, and if you look lost in thought or bored or whatever, it is a terrible message you are sending to the congregation. I understand that perhaps you have read it many times in preparation for your sermon, but that's no excuse. It isn't break time for you just because you got someone else to do it.
Pastors, please also talk to your acolytes before the service as well to remind them that they are more visible than when they are in the pew, and that when they are up at the Altar they can think of themselves as soldiers attending the King's throne.