Laypeople Are Critical to the Mission of the Church

2 May 2026  Acts 13:44-52

Memorial of St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

“And then the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God….” Acts 13:48 

So who were the Gentiles that Paul was talking to in Pisidia? Why were they so glad, and how did they know what to do about what Paul told them?

The Gentiles Paul was talking to were those who lived in many places in the Greek-speaking world, who admired the Jews for their monotheism and moral seriousness, but could not bring themselves to adopt Jewish customs like circumcision and dietary restrictions. The Jews welcomed them into their synagogues and called them “God-fearers,” and Paul addressed them directly when he was invited to speak at the Pisidian synagogue: “Men of Israel and you that fear God…” (Acts 13:16).

Laypeople gathering with each other, around scripture, and in prayer are the way Church and culture have saved themselves and the world from the start.   We still are.

They were glad because Paul was offering them a way to be full members of the religious community without having to adopt circumcision and the kosher laws: “By Him [Jesus], everyone that believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses” (13:39).

But how did they know what they were supposed to do about this new faith? Paul could not give them a lot of help – he was only in Pisidia for about ten days or so before the leaders of the town ran him and Barnabas off. Paul did make two return visits, but they were both short (probably less than a week each), and the visits were separated by several years. How did the Gentiles of Pisidia know how to be a Church?

Well, for one thing, they still had access to the synagogue, which meant they still had access to the reading and hearing of the scriptures. For another thing, brief as it was, they still had the advice of Paul, and before long a copy of Paul’s letter to the Galatians (Pisidia was in Galatia, a Roman province). For a third thing, they had access to Jesus in prayer. So, the Pisidians (and all the other Gentile churches Paul founded) learned how to be a Church by gathering with each other, around scripture, and in prayer. Since then, all the great advances in the Church as well as in culture have happened the same way – Christians with each other, around scripture, and in prayer.

It is important to note also that this was entirely an initiative of laypeople.  There was not an identifiable priesthood in the earliest Church until the late second century. It is important to note as well that all the advances of Church and culture since the time of Paul have begun with laypeople gathering with each other, around scripture, and in prayer. The priesthood only emerged when the Church began to grow and needed consistent leadership. What made the Church grow was the initiatives of laypeople. That has always been true. St. Ambrose was not a priest when he was unexpectedly elected bishop of Milan. He was only a lay catechumen, and found himself baptized, ordained a priest, and consecrated a bishop in a period of less than a week. It was St. Ambrose who brokered the conversion of St. Augustine, who was quite literally grabbed and pushed to the front of the Church, having been a Christian for only about 18 months, and ordained a priest by popular acclamation. About 18 months after that he was consecrated a bishop. His thought has been forming the culture of the West ever since. All the advances of Church and culture since the earliest days have happened because of the initiatives of laypeople.

Laypeople gathering with each other, around scripture, and in prayer are the way Church and culture have saved themselves and the world from the start.

We still are.