At St. Andrews Church Chiang Mai, we are blessed to have a Thai priest leading the church, guiding staff and volunteers in the vision to make Christ known in Chiang Mai. As the Apostle Peter stated, all members of St. Andrews serve God together as a royal priesthood. Our priest (or pastor) leads the church by focusing on God’s presence in Jesus Christ.

The priesthood is a model of ministry outlined in the Old Testament. Priests stand between God and God’s people, with each side having different responsibilities. In Israel, some priests served at the altar, some were gatekeepers, some were preachers, musicians, and even kitchen workers. They worked together as a team to make the temple a place for worship, sacrifice, prayer, and teaching. Meanwhile, God’s presence in the temple was for forgiving sins, reconciliation, giving hope, and guiding His people.

In Hebrews 1:1, the writer speaks of Jesus as the High Priest chosen from among the people. Jesus became human, qualifying Him to be our High Priest, because He became one of us as a human!

Today, we recognize that principle that church leaders should be “chosen from among the people.” Jesus remains the High Priest, while local leaders serve as priests under Jesus’ authority. Peter speaks of this priestly calling to all members of the church. The church is called from among people worldwide to bring nations to God and proclaim God’s praise to all peoples.

Among the community of believers, we designate our leaders as priests, so they can be examples for all believers in ministry that stands between God and the world. Priests and the church together can fulfill this calling in the world.