Should Elders Administer Holy Communion?
I’ll skip to the end. No. Un-ordained elders should not consecrate or distribute Holy Communion. Why? Because we are bound to follow Scripture as it is interpreted by the Lutheran Confessions. St. Paul tells us that the Sacraments (mysteries) have been entrusted to the pastoral office (1 Corinthians 4:1). Pastors are “stewards of the mysteries,” and this stewardship comes with responsibility and accountability. Souls are at stake. Unworthy reception of the Lord’s Supper causes great spiritual harm. Therefore, this burden of stewardship should only be borne by those whom God has called and placed into that office.
Likewise, our Confessions state that “no one should publicly teach in the Church or administer the Sacraments unless he be regularly called” (AC XIV). To be “regularly called” speaks of the process by which qualified men are trained, examined, certified, and ordained as pastors within our synod. Elders are not pastors. They are not stewards of the Mysteries. They have not been regularly called; therefore, they may not administer the Sacraments.
Perhaps no one thinks much about these things until there is a pastoral vacancy. And then, because it’s an “emergency”, all manner of strange questions and ideas arise. “Can we have the circuit visitor consecrate a month’s supply of elements for the elder to distribute?” “What about the vicar? Surely, he can serve Communion in a pinch?” “Perhaps we can put the phone on speaker next to the elements, while a pastor in another state consecrates them remotely?” (I’m not making this up.)
These ideas, though often motivated by a pious desire for the gifts of Christ, fail to consider the stewardship that must accompany the distribution of the Lord’s Supper. The pastor is not necessary because he is the only one capable of saying the Words of Institution—a parrot could be trained to do that. The pastor is necessary because it has been given to him to know the spiritual state of his flock. These are souls entrusted to his care, for which he will be called to give an account. There are great warnings attached to the improper reception of the Lord’s Supper, and the pastor must take these warnings seriously for the sake of the flock, even when the flock resents him for doing so.
With this stewardship in mind, let’s return to the question of elders and Holy Communion. Clearly, an elder may not administer Holy Communion. But in what capacity might he assist the pastor with the distribution of the Lord’s Supper? Is there even a difference between “administering” and “assisting”, or is this simply a weaselly attempt to sidestep Scripture and the Confessions by giving a bad practice a new label? After all, we’re not above using this kind of sleight of hand in our synod: “The deaconess is not preaching a sermon, she is ‘delivering a message.’”
The following three examples, all of which can be found in our churches, will serve to explore the difference between “administering” and “assisting.”
Example 1: The elder distributes the Body of Christ, while the pastor serves the chalice.
If an elder is distributing the Body of Christ, it’s probably because he was nervous about serving the chalice, which does require some degree of skill or practice. Whatever the reason, this is a bad custom and should be corrected immediately. Why? Because the man who distributes the Body of Christ is necessarily exercising stewardship over the Sacrament. Whether he intends to or not, he has become the one who “stands daily at the altar, inviting some to the Communion and keeping back others” (AC XXIV:36–37). Pastors, this is your duty. You cannot farm it off to an elder. If you do, no matter what your communion statement may say, you are practicing open communion and shirking your duty as the steward of the Mysteries. Your elder is not going to do the hard work of turning away those who are uncatechized or unprepared—nor should he. That is your job. Elders, if you have been serving the Body of Christ, speak with your pastor about correcting this practice as soon as possible. Otherwise, you are operating in an office to which you have not been called.
Example 2: The pastor distributes the Body of Christ, while the elder serves the chalice.
This is the more common practice in our synod. Even so, it is less than ideal. We can grant that it is not the flagrant violation of Scripture and the Confessions as is the example above. But even if we conclude that it is a matter of adiaphora, it does not follow that we are then free to do whatever we please. Adiaphora are to be judged by how they illuminate Christ, teach the faith, and preserve good order within the church. Why would an elder be asked to distribute the Blood of Christ? Generally speaking, to save time. A valid concern? Yes. Our chief concern? Hardly.
Let me put a question to you: Do you prefer to hear the words, “The Blood of Christ, shed for you,” from your own pastor, or from a fellow layman? Why? Why should it matter who speaks the words? The Sacraments are given especially as an aid and comfort for the guilty conscience. They are given to strengthen faith; therefore, we should take great care not to administer the Sacraments in ways that unnecessarily introduce doubt. There is something intangible that passes between the communicant and the pastor when the words of Christ are spoken by the man whom Christ Himself has appointed and sent to speak those very words. Should we give this up for the sake of saving ten minutes or so during the distribution? I think not. I’m not promoting some sort of sacerdotalism here. The efficacy of the Sacraments comes from Christ, not from any sinful man. But for the same reason that the words of baptism are ordinarily spoken by the pastor, so the words of distribution are most properly spoken by the appointed steward of the Lord’s Supper.
Example 3: The pastor distributes first the Body of Christ and then the chalice, while the elder follows closely with the tray of individual cups.
This last example is the current practice in my own parish. It is still not what I consider to be ideal. I pray that the day will come when the whole congregation will drink together from the chalice of our Lord without fear. But at this present time, it is necessary to offer both the chalice and individual cups. My elder holds the tray of individual cups, but he does not distribute them. Instead, he waits near the altar until I have distributed the Body of Christ and return to take up the chalice. (This is one practical way to encourage the use of the chalice: simply offer it first.) The elder stands close beside me as I say the words, “The Blood of Christ, shed for you.” The people receive either from the chalice or the individual cup. In either case the elder says nothing. He serves me as Aaron and Hur did Moses, holding up my arms, or, more literally, lending me an extra pair of arms. But I say the words. I am the one distributing. In our parish with 50 to 60 regular communicants, I suppose this takes an extra 5 or 10 minutes, a price we are happy to pay. The communicants find comfort in hearing the words of Christ from the lips of their own pastor—not because I am anyone special, but because Christ has specifically appointed me to speak those words.
In summary, I pray that no one reads the three examples above as condemnation (except for the first one—don’t be doing that). My intention is to demonstrate the strong connection between distributing and administering the Lord’s Supper. If these two things are not entirely synonymous, there is, at the very least, a large degree of overlap. We should not, for the sake of convenience, simply label anything we ask our elders to do as “assistance” and think that we have been faithful to Scripture and the Confessions. Some of the ways elders assist in our churches are, in fact, an improper exercise of stewardship over the Lord’s Supper. Others customs, though not contrary to Scripture, are not the strongest aid to weak faith and the troubled conscience. Some practices may even introduce doubt where there should be none. These ought to be reevaluated, not on the basis of what is permissible or saves the most time, but by what best illuminates Christ, teaches the faith, and promotes good order in the church.
Edited: March 9, 2024
The first paragraph of this article as it originally appeared has been removed. Initially, I had claimed that the Body and Blood of Christ are present when a layman consecrates and distributes Holy Communion, but that such a thing ought not to be done for the sake of proper stewardship. After some discussion with my colleagues, I am retracting this statement. Perhaps the Body and Blood are present. Perhaps they are not. In either case, the use of the Sacrament apart from our Lord’s command and intended order causes spiritual harm and introduces doubt where none should exist.