"Ministry is the vocation of every person of faith, [and] Unitarian Universalism, as a democratic faith, affirms the priesthood of all believers';

we are all lay ministers, whether or not we choose to be professional religious leaders."

UUA Commission on Appraisal "Our Professional Ministry: Structure, Support and Renewal," 1992 study, quoting Neil Shadle

Clyde's exegesis. Vocation is the work we called to do.

The word laity comes from a Greek word that means "the public of a polis" or the self aware collection of the people of a community. Thus even ordained professional clergy are part of the polis, and of the laos (people), and to put it another way clergy are part of the laity or the whole people of the church. The clergy are called out from the people to give leadership in certain areas, but remain part of the people. Again the whole people of a faith community are called to ministry.