Communion consecration
Is the pastor the only one able to consecrate the bread and the wine for Communion? If called by the congregation due to a vacancy or inability of a pastor to conduct the Communion service, can an elder of the church or a called male worker in the day school be allowed to consecrate the bread and the wine for the Communion service, similar to an elder being able to administer Communion to shut ins or nursing home elderly? Please clarify and give me biblical references for your position.
Your question has been asked and answered previously. Allow me to pass along the previous response: āThe Lordās Supper is given to the Church. Ordinarily, the congregation calls a pastor to publicly administer the sacrament on its behalf. We cannot say dogmatically that one must be ordained to validly consecrate the Lordās Supper, but the regular practice of the Lutheran church has been that only pastors acting in the name of the congregation do this. It has not been considered āappropriateā for laymen to consecrate the Lordās Supper under ordinary circumstances.ā
Some biblical references associated with that answer would include Matthew 18:15-20 (the ministry of the keys is given to the church), 1 Peter 2:9 (all Christians are priests before God), Ephesians 4:11 (God has established the public ministry), Romans 10:15 (the church calls individuals to serve in the public ministry), 1 Timothy 3:1-10 (those individuals are qualified to serve in the public ministry), 1 Corinthians 14:40 (the church is to use Christian freedom āin a fitting and orderly wayā) and 1 Corinthians 10:32 (the church is concerned about its members when it contemplates change from its normal practices).