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”.

Holbein, Allegory of the Old and New Testament

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

1. AC XIV; Treatise §§67–72: the call authorizes one to act publicly on behalf of the Church.

2. Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration X, 10–13: ceremonies cease to be adiaphora when they obscure our confession or cause offense.

3. AC VII and Apology VII/VIII, 33–34: unity is not uniformity of ceremonies but concord in doctrine and right administration of the sacraments.

4. Apology XXIV, 79–81: the Mass and preaching office exist so that “we may obtain faith and comfort from the Word.”