Certified Lay Servant/Speaker/Minister (LACE)

CERTIFIED LAY SERVANT

A certified lay servant is a professing member of a local church or charge or a baptized participant of a recognized United Methodist collegiate ministry or other United Methodist ministry setting who desires to serve the church and who knows and is committed to scripture and the doctrine, heritage, organization, and life of The United Methodist Church. This is a person who has received specific training to witness to the Christian faith through spoken communication, to lead within a church and community, and to provide caring ministry. The certified lay servant serves the local church or charge (or beyond the local church or charge) through his or her witness, leadership, and service, inspiring others to a deeper commitment to Christ and more effective discipleship. Through continued study and training, the certified lay servant should prepare to undertake one or more of the following functions, giving primary attention to service within the local church or charge, United Methodist collegiate ministry, or other United Methodist ministry setting: • Provide leadership, assistance, and support to the program emphases of the church or other United Methodist ministry. • Lead meetings for prayer, training, study, and discussion when requested by the pastor, district superintendent, or committee on Lay Servant Ministries. • Conduct, or assist in conducting, services of worship, preach the Word, or give addresses when requested by the pastor, district superintendent, or committee on Lay Servant Ministries. • Work with appropriate committees and teams that provide congregational and community leadership or foster caring ministries • Assist in the distribution of the elements of Holy Communion upon request by a pastor. • Teach the Scriptures, doctrine, organization, and ministries of The United Methodist Church.

What requirements are there?

1. Obtain recommendation from the pastor and the church council or charge conference of the local church or other United Methodist ministry in which you hold membership.

2. Complete the “Introduction to Lay Speaking Ministries: The BASIC Course."

3. Complete an advanced Lay Servant Ministries course.

4. Apply to and have qualifications reviewed by the district committee on Lay Servant Ministries or equivalent structure (see ¶668.3).

How do I get my training?

Attend two consecutive Saturday trainings within the district

How do I renew my Certification for Lay Servant?

To maintain status as a Certified Lay Servant, you must:

1. Submit an annual report and renewal application to the charge conference or church council and to the district committee on Lay Servant Ministries or equivalent structure, giving evidence of satisfactory performance as a certified lay servant.

2. Obtain recommendation for renewal from the pastor and the church council or charge conference of the local church or other United Methodist ministry in which you hold membership.

3. Complete a Lay Servant Ministries advanced course in the last three years.

CERTIFIED LAY SPEAKER

A certified lay speaker is a certified lay servant (or equivalent as defined by his or her central conference) whose call has been affirmed by the conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries or equivalent structure to serve the church in pulpit supply in accordance and compliance with ¶341.1. The certified lay speaker serves by preaching the Word when requested by the pastor, district superintendent, or committee on Lay Servant Ministries, in accordance and compliance with ¶341.1.

What requirements are there?

1. Be certified as a lay servant (or equivalent as defined by your central conference).

2. Obtain recommendation from the pastor and the church council or charge conference of the local church in which you hold membership.

3. Complete a track of study including courses on leading worship, leading prayer, discovering spiritual gifts, preaching, United Methodist heritage and polity, or other courses as determined by the conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries or equivalent structure.

4. Interview with and obtain recommendation from the district committee on Lay Servant Ministries, or equivalent structure, to be submitted to the conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries, or equivalent structure, for approval and certification.

To become certified as a lay speaker, you must complete a track of study that includes one course from each of the following subject categories:

1. The BASIC Course for Lay Servant Ministries

2. Leading Worship

3. Leading Prayer

4. Discovering Spiritual Gifts

5. Preaching

6. United Methodist Heritage •Living Our United Methodist Beliefs

7. United Methodist Polity

8. Other courses as may be determined by your annual conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries, or equivalent structure.

How do I get my training?

Attend a training two consecutive Saturdays within our district!

How do I renew my certification for Lay Speaker?

To maintain status as a Certified Lay Speaker, you must:

2. Obtain recommendation for continued recognition as a certified lay speaker from the pastor and the church council or charge conference of the local church or other United Methodist ministry in which you hold membership.

3. Complete a Lay Servant Ministries advanced course in the last three years.

4. In the last three years, have interviewed with and obtained recommendation for renewal as a certified lay speaker from the district committee on Lay Servant Ministries, or equivalent structure, and the approval of the conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries, or equivalent structure, for recertification.

CERTIFIED LAY MINISTER

A certified lay minister is a certified lay servant or certified lay missioner (or equivalent as defined by his or her central conference) who is called and equipped to conduct public worship, care for the congregation, assist in program leadership, develop new and existing faith communities, preach the Word, lead small groups, or establish community outreach ministries as part of a ministry team with the supervision and support of a clergyperson. A certified lay minister is assigned by a district superintendent in accordance with ¶419.2. The certified lay minister serves to enhance the quality of ministry, much like a class leader did in early Methodism, through service in the local church, circuit, or cooperative parish, or by expanding team ministry in other churches and charges. As with lay ministry in early Methodism, the certified lay minister uses his or her spiritual gifts as evidence of God’s grace. To become a Certified Lay Minister, you need to complete the following requirements:

How do I get my training?

To become a Certified Lay Minister, you need to complete the following requirements:

Must be at least 18-years-old and have been an active member of the local United Methodist Church for a minimum of two years in the conference that recommends.
Been recommended by the pastor of a local church where he or she hold membership and by vote of the church council or charge conference.
Completed the tracks of LACE (Lay Academy of Congregation Excellence).
Demonstrated appreciation of the history, polity, doctrine, worship, and liturgy of The United Methodist Church through service in his or her local church.
Psychological Evaluations before serving (expenses to be negotiated between local church, district and person.) This is to be done after the application and before the other requirements is completed.
Been recommended by the District Superintendent after completion of appropriate screening
Made application in writing to the District Committee on Ordained Ministry.
Background Check initially including a financial check, then a general background check
every Quadrennium.
Appeared before the District Committee on Ordained Ministry for review and approval

Requirements for Serving as a Certified Lay Minister:

Quarterly meetings with a Supervising Pastor to be assigned and approved by District Superintendent. (The CLM must meet with this pastor at least 4 times a year).
Formulate a written covenant which includes a job description and area of ministry that is signed by SPR of the church serving, supervising pastor and approved by DCOM (a signed and dated copy to be kept in the District office as part of the covenant process.)
Complete Safe Sanctuary training and Boundaries training every Quadrennium
Complete and sign a yearly ministry evaluation with the supervising pastor and SPR (where the CLM is serving.) A copy is to be turned into Conference DCOM sub team, District Superintendent, and a copy is to remain with the CLM.

Course offering dates:

You must attend a training in the district every 2 years

How do I renew my certification?

To maintain status as a Certified Lay Minister, you must:

1. Submit an annual report to the charge conference or church council where membership is held and to the conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries or equivalent structure, giving evidence of satisfactory performance as a certified lay minister.

2. Every two years, obtain a ministry review by the committee on pastor-parish relations, church council, or charge conference from the congregation of which you are a member, or when under assignment, from the committee on pastor-parish relations, charge conference, or supervisory board of the ministry setting in which you are assigned.

3. Complete a Lay Servant Ministries advanced course or approved continuing education event, as defined by the conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries or equivalent structure in the last two years.

4. Obtain recommendation for recertification from the district superintendent.

5. Have all requirements for recertification reviewed by the conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries or equivalent structure for referral to the district committee on ordained ministry (for examination every two years when you have applied in writing to be renewed as a certified lay minister and obtain recommendation for recertification; see ¶666.10). After the district committee on ordained ministry interviews you, the district committee on ordained ministry will make a recommendation to the conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries for final recertification by that committee.

Course offering dates for renewal as Certified Lay Minister:

See courses offered for Advanced Lay Speaker above