Lay Speaking Ministries FAQs
About the
Certified Lay Minister Program
and
About
The Lay Speaking Ministries Program
Who can become a Lay Speaker?
Any professing member of the United Methodist Church is invited to participate in the Lay Speaking Ministries program.
How do I get started?
The first step in the process is to approach your pastor and let him or her know of your interests. This is important because you are going to eventually ask him or her to write a letter of recommendation to the district director of Lay Speaking Ministries on your behalf. This step refers to the adamant insistence of John Wesley and the founding fathers of the Methodist movement that persons acting as representatives of the church must be known by their local pastor.
Next, you will write your own letter of application to the district director of Lay Speaking Ministries illustrating your wish to take the Lay Speaking Ministries basic course.
Both of these letters will be sent to the district coordinator of Lay Speaking Ministries who will in turn advise you when and where the basic course will be taught. (The district director's address can be found on the director link of this site or by calling the office of the district superintendent for your district.)
What is the basic course?
This basic course, which must be completed in order to become a local Lay Speaker, is a ten-hour spiritual exercise in reading, reflection, journaling and dialogue. It is about the calling of each Christian to ministry and helps us in learning how we can minister to our local church community. The 11 chapters in the course are all based on the theme "called to proclaim the gospel."
In keeping with this theme, before the first class session, you will be asked to interview a pastor, a deacon, or some other person who works full time as a professional in Christian service. Ask about their call: was it gradual or dramatic; have they ever questioned it? If so, when an why, etc.? You should document your interview and bring it with you to the first class session.
What happens after I take the basic course?
Having completed this 10-hour course, you will be recognized and accepted as a local Lay Speaker. You will now have the authority of the district superintendent and the Lay Speaking Ministries district coordinator to act within your own church as a Lay Speaker. You may be called on to serve your church by witness of the spoken work, vital leadership service, care-giving ministry, or in any capacity you and the church leadership considers you qualified. You will act as a Lay Speaker solely within your church where you are registered as a member. [Paragraph 271 in The 2000 Discipline]
What's next?
Any person who has completed the basic course may elect to take an advanced course. There are numerous courses offered by the Lay Speaking ministries. These courses are designed to enhance your understanding of the Methodist Church and to advance your faith journey. These courses are also 10 hours in length and within the North Texas Conference, are usually offered at least twice during the year at different sites within your district.
What about this term I have been hearing, certified Lay Speaker?
The term certified Lay Speaker is contrasted with the term local Lay Speaker in that the local Lay Speaker is restricted to service within his or her own United Methodist Church of membership. As a certified Lay Speaker, you may act not only within your local church but also in any capacity within the conference at the discretion of the bishop or any of the district superintendents as well as the Lay Speaking Ministries district director or conference director of Lay Speaking ministries. You may be asked to deliver a sermon in another church; conduct a healing service; serve as a district officer; or lead a prayer group in a nursing home.
How do I become a certified Lay Speaker?
Completion of any single advanced courses allows you to be recognized as a certified Lay Speaker.
Do I have to become a certified Lay Speaker?
No.You are under no requirement to become a certified Lay Speaker. You may remain a local church Lay Speaker, working in your own home church. However, you must take a refresher course each three years and remain active within the United Methodist Church.
Do I have to become a Lay Speaker to take Lay Speaking courses?
No. The consensus of the Conference Committee on Lay Speaking Ministries is that if one who is not a Lay Speaker and wishes to take a Lay Speaking Course, he or she may do so. The attendee will receive a certificate of course completion to indicate the completion of the course. However, if after taking a course that person wishes to become a Lay Speaker, then he or she must complete the basic course to be to become a Local Church Lay Speaker and a further advanced course to be a Certified Lay Speaker. The previously taken course will not apply toward that certification, however.
Is there any requirement to maintain my certification?
To remain an active Lay Speaker (whether local or certified) you must follow certain guidelines outlined in the book of discipline. First, you must renew your affiliation with the Lay Speaking Ministries annually. To do this you will be asked to complete the necessary renewal. (This form is available from your district director of Lay Speaking Ministries and may be downloaded here. It's also a part of your church's charge conference packet received by your pastor.) This step is the same for both local church and certified Lay Speakers.
Those seeking to renew their certification as a certified Lay Speaker must have taken one advanced course within the three-year period prior to the request date.
Your request for renewal must be signed by you and your pastor and submitted for approval to your local charge or church conference held at your church usually in the fall. After sanctioning your renewal request, your church will submit the form to the district superintendent and the district coordinator for their signature. This satisfies the requirement that you are to be approved by your local church.
Remember, this must be done annually. You are responsible for submitting this renewal form each year. It would be wise to make copies of the form (including part one and part two) for your records. The original form must be sent to the district office by the charge or church secretary where it is recorded and then forwarded to the district coordinator of Lay Speaking Ministries for record keeping purposes.
What happens if I move my membership from one United Methodist Church to another?
Your affiliation with the Lay Speaking Ministries can be transferred from one United Methodist Church to another should you change your church membership. In this situation, you must notify the pastor of the gaining church as to your status as a Lay Speaker. (This is where copies of your renewal form come in handy.) The gaining church secretary will send notification to the district superintendent of the gaining church so they can annotate their records accordingly. Though it would be appropriate to notify the losing district of your move, it isn't necessary since the renewal process is accomplished annually and you will automatically drop from their rolls at charge conference time. The important requirement is to be sure the gaining district is aware of your certification status.
Where can I find information about the Certified Lay Minister program?
The Certified Lay Minister program is a different entity from Lay Speaking Ministries, though some Lay Speakers decide to answer a call to become a Certified Lay Minister. For information about this program, click here: Certified Lay Minister.
