East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church

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LAITY

Lay Servant Ministries

Laity refers to the Greek word laos which means all the people of God. Laity are empowered through Lay Servant Ministries to serve in each community and in our conference.

Lay Servant Ministries of The United Methodist Church has its origins in early Methodism. John Wesley used lay persons to preach, conduct worship, lead studies, and visit the sick and imprisoned. These early leaders were called exhorters, forerunners of today’s lay servants.

Today, those involved in Lay Ministry are charged to witness, lead, and have their service inspire others to a deeper commitment to Christ and more effective discipleship.

The three tenets of Lay Servant Ministries are Leading, Caring, and Communicating.

Annual Report Forms

Lay SERVANT Annual Report
Lay SPEAKER Annual Report
CERTIFIED LAY MINISTER Annual Report

Lay Servant Ministries and Beyond

TITLE:	REQUIREMENTS:
Local Church Lay Servant Serve primarily in the local congregation	1. Pastor and charge conference approval 2. Complete the Basic Course in LSM 3. File annual report 4. Take a refresher course every 3 years*
Certified Lay Servant Local Church Lay Servants who have taken an advanced course in LSM; serve in the local congregation and beyond	1. Pastor and charge conference approval 2. Take an advanced course after the Basic 3. File annual report 4. Complete 1 advanced course every 3 years*
Certified Lay Speaker Certified Lay Servants who provide pulpit supply Required Courses: Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts, Leading Prayer, Preaching, Living Our United Methodist Beliefs (UM Heritage), Leading Worship, Life Together in the United Methodist Connection (UM Polity)	(Are Certified Lay Servants) 1. Pastor and charge conference approval 2. Complete the required courses for lay speaker 3. Interview with District Committee on LSM 4. Approved by annual conference Committee on Lay Servant Ministries 5. File annual report 6. Every 3 years* complete 1 advanced course and interview with District Committee on LSM
Certified Lay Minister Lay person who serves in the local church, or beyond, under clergy supervision as part of a Mutual Ministry Team.	1. Lay servant certification or equivalent (includes Basic Lay Servant course and “Each One a Minister”) 2. Written recommendation from the pastor and church council or charge conference 3. Letter of support from the District Superintendent 4. Appropriate background checks and assessments 5. Completion of approved CLM Training 6. Development of a Mutual Ministry Covenant 7. Approval by the district Committee on Ordained Ministry 8. Approval by the Conference Committee on Lay Servant Ministries Detailed step-by-step guide for becoming a Certified Lay Minister available here

* The COVID-19 Pandemic has required all in-person training events to be rescheduled. During this time of adaptation, the East Ohio Conference Committee on Lay Servant Ministries is temporarily extending from 3 years to 4 years the requirement that Lay Servants must complete a refresher or advanced course. This only applies to persons whose last course was completed in 2017. The LSM Committee will review the format and availability of courses in order to provide multiple alternatives for training in our current environment. www.beadisciple.com continues to be an excellent resource for online training as well. This extension does not change the requirement that every lay servant complete an annual report to their local church conference. Please contact your District Director of Lay Servant Ministries for more information.