Can a lay person preside over the Lord's Supper?

hedrick said:

A virtual communion service wouldn't have people preside at home. Rather, they would be part of a celebration that is presided over by a minister in a central location. There's nothing in Reformed theology requiring the person presiding to touch the elements. In our church the elements served in the balcony start there, i.e. they aren't brought up from the floor.

The most famous example of this was a Presbyterian communion service where one of the members participating was on the moon.

The PCUSA has officially authorized virtual communion services, but they would have a pastor presiding. They don't actually say whether the people at home eat elements that they have prepared or not, though I think that's implied. Specifics are up to the Session.
http://oga.pcusa.org/site_media/med...ion_communion_in_an_emergency_or_pandemic.pdf

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Yes, and the PCUSA is not confessionally Reformed, only in church government.

hedrick said:

In the Reformed community we would say that there is nothing Biblical requiring it. However for a number of practical reasons we generally require a minister. (Traditionally that is expressed as "church order".) Some Reformed churches allow specially trained elders where there aren't enough pastors available. I have no problem with that.

But these are for normal situations. You could imagine odd emergency situations where a Christian community might authorize someone else. On the other hand, in a Reformed community I'd expect that in most situations that person would be elected an elder.

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Westminster Directory:

As there were in the Jewish church elders of the people joined with the priests and Levites in the government of the church; so Christ, who hath instituted government, and governors ecclesiastical in the church, hath furnished some in his church, beside the ministers of the word, with gifts for government, and with commission to execute the same when called thereunto, who are to join with the minister in the government of the church. Which officers reformed churches commonly call Elders.

The pastor is an ordinary and perpetual officer in the church, prophesying of the time of the gospel.

First, it belongs to his office,

To pray for and with his flock, as the mouth of the people unto God, Acts vi. 2, 3, 4, and xx. 36, where preaching and prayer are joined as several parts of the same office. The office of the elder (that is, the pastor) is to pray for the sick, even in private, to which a blessing is especially promised; much more therefore ought he to perform this in the publick execution of his office, as a part thereof.

To read the Scriptures publickly; for the proof of which,
1. That the priests and Levites in the Jewish church were trusted with the publick reading of the word is proved.

2. That the ministers of the gospel have as ample a charge and commission to dispense the word, as well as other ordinances, as the priests and Levites had under the law, proved, Isa. lxvi. 21. Matt. xxiii. 34. where our Saviour entitleth the officers of the New Testament, whom he will send forth, by the same names of the teachers of the Old.

Which propositions prove, that therefore (the duty being of a moral nature) it followeth by just consequence, that the publick reading of the scriptures belongeth to the pastor's office.

To feed the flock, by preaching of the word, according to which he is to teach, convince, reprove, exhort, and comfort. To catechise, which is a plain laying down the first principles of the oracles of God, or of the doctrine of Christ, and is a part of preaching. To dispense other divine mysteries. To administer the sacraments.

To bless the people from God, Numb. vi. 23, 24, 25, 26. Compared with Rev. i.4, 5, ( where the same blessings, and persons from whom they come, are expressly mentioned,) Isa. lxvi. 21, where, under the names of Priests and Levites to be continued under the gospel, are meant evangelical pastors, who therefore are by office to bless the people. To take care of the poor. And he hath also a ruling power over the flock as a pastor.

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hedrick said:

Right. But this is different from the Catholic position, where only the minister has the supernatural power to make communion happen. In the Reformed tradition, pastors have no special powers, but as a matter of church order they preside over communion.

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Correct, no special powers, but a calling, one that not all of us are called to.

Der Alter said:

In late 70s I was a member of my church's men's group, in a major Southern denomination, not then ordained or in ministry. Our men's group visited a nursing home 2d and 4th Sunday every month and conducted an informal worship service.
.....The mother of one of our church members became a resident of a nursing home a few blocks from the one we visited. We visited her one Sunday and learned that nursing home did not have any similar services. We talked to staff and arranged to also have worship services there. We alternated services 1st and 3rd Sunday one home 2d and 4th the other.
.....The president of the group, a good friend, suggested we have communion for our "congregations." We told our "congregations" and had communion the next visit.
.....One member of our men's group very huffily refused to participate saying he didn't believe in that. He evidently told our pastor who decreed that we were not to do that again since that was not a church and we were not ordained etc.
.....Did we do something wrong? One of the nursing home residents was saved that day. After the service I pushed an elderly lady in a wheelchair back to her room. I asked her if she wanted to go in her room or stay out in the hall. She stayed in the hall. As I started to leave she took my hand with both of hers and with tears in her eyes said, "Thank you so much for making that church for me That is the first time I have had communion since I don't know when." Did we do something wrong? I don't think so.

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Anecdotal.

God uses means, that includes irregular ones, that doesn't mean we make them the norm.

JIMINZ said:

Sounds like what the Pharisees would have said to Jesus.

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That really means nothing on CF. Placing me in the Pharisees camp is the political equivalent of calling your opponent the short guy with the funny moustache.