The divide is illustrated by Congar who recalls a Catholic Truth Society pamphlet which said the laity had the two roles of kneeling before the altar and sitting below the pulpit, which indicated subservience to the clergy in both sacrament and teaching. He also recalls Cardinal Gasquet amusing add-on that the laity also put their hands in their pockets. It is widely acknowledged that the laity have always been seen as inferior or sub-ordinate to the clergy, by the churches adopting an ecclesiastical, hierachial structure.

This raises the question of what ministry if any should be undertaken by the laity and whether it is complimentary to the clergy or subservient to it. Much has happened since the work of Congar and the issue of wider lay ministry in the contemporary church is receiving attention in many denominations, an example being lay ministry within the context of Roman Catholic parishes in the USA.

The concept which most consistently arises is 'every member ministry', which describes the individual service or contribution that each member can make to the life of the church. This theological view arises as a result of the calling of each believer as a result of their baptism into the body of Christ. It replaces a divide between the clergy and laity with a coexistence in which certain functions are reserved for the clergy.