Mission and ministry in the wake of Vatican II

The term ministry has dominated much ecclesiological discourse post-Vatican II. Yet it is not clear that this dominance has its origins in the document of the Council. This paper argues for a clearer distinction between mission and ministry in the Church and for a fuller realisation of the singificance of mission, which can be lost in the hegemony of ministry. It argues that the most significant aspect of lay participation in the life of the Church is not in ministry, but in their participation in the mission of the Church. This is supported by reference to the documents of Vatican II and other Church statements