Our problem today is that people do not see themselves with a 'vocation' to be a CLERIC. ie: a male, called to a full time commitment, for a lifetime, requiring celibacy.

Our custom is to require that anyone 'ordained' to priesthood or Episcopal office needs to be a full time CLERIC, dedicated for life. 

In the early Christian communities of Acts and the Epistles, that was not a requirement. These new greek-named 'deacons' were part of the 'laity'. The people Paul describes as having all the various gifts the community needed to 'build up the Body of Christ' were all of the same 'class'. Christians were not yet separated into 'laity' and 'clerics'. 

As long as we divide Christians into 'professional clerics' and 'laity', we will have 'clericalism'.

Maybe THAT is our present problem. 

'Priests' are just people whom the Bishop delegates by ordination to share in his Episcopal functions of administering Sacraments, preaching, teaching, presiding at Liturgy & administration.

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