Vineyard affirms the priesthood of all believers and emphasizes that every Christian is called to ministry, not only ordained clergy. Wimber's 'everyone gets to play' ethos means that gifts, healing prayer, and ministry are expected from all members, not just pastors. This strongly egalitarian culture of participation is a defining feature of Vineyard.

On women in pastoral and senior leadership roles, Vineyard varies by national context. Vineyard USA and Vineyard UK are officially egalitarian, ordaining women as senior pastors. Other national associations, particularly in more conservative cultural contexts, are more restrictive. Vineyard holds this as a secondary issue on which churches may differ, while the movement's culture generally trends toward women's full participation in ministry.