John Stott Debunks the Clergy / Laity Dichotomy

 "The whole traditional concept of  'laity' and 'ministry' has been askew, as if  'laity' were a lesser and lower breed, and as if 'ministry' belonged to the clergy alone.  But this distillation cannot be maintained from Scripture. The Scriptural teaching is that ministry belongs to the laity and that the laity are the whole people of God.  Indeed, the function of those called to the pastorate is precisely to help the 'laity' to fulfill their ministry."

        -- John Stott, deceased Anglican pastor of All Souls Church in London, England.  This is an excerpt from his book Our Guilty Silence