Logan Shaw wrote:

OK, so this morning I got into a standard problem that happens
not terribly often but still quite regularly. We were doing a
sound check of a couple of drama people with lav mics, and it
was time to check the mic for Drama Player #1. OK, Drama
Player #1, time to check your mic...

DP #1: "check, check"
[ silence ]
[ more silence ]
me: "keep talking"
DP #1: "check"
[ you guessed, it silence ]
[ and now, just to round things out, a tad more silence ]

Since outbursts of "IF YOU DON'T TALK, DAMMIT, HOW CAN I HEAR HOW
YOUR VOICE SOUNDS THROUGH THE MIC?!" are probably inappropriate
(especially in church), what can be done?

You do the same thing that one would do if mic checking for a singer:
you ask them to read some of their material into the mic. It really is
that easy. You act like you're in charge and that you expect them to
help get this show on the road.

--
ha