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

Please download the form and save to your computer before filling it out.

Certified Lay SERVANT Annual Report (If you have only taken the BASIC course, you do not have to submit a report. See note above chart below for explanation of this change.)
Certified Lay SPEAKER Annual Report
Certified Lay MINISTER Annual Report

Lay Servant Ministries and Beyond

The 2016 Book of Discipline no longer uses "Local (Basic) Lay Servant." Persons completing the Basic course will not need to complete an annual report form. Persons are encouraged to take the Basic course as a step toward discerning a call to ministry that may include becoming a Certified Lay Servant. A certificate of completion is issued upon completing the Basic course. Persons may apply to become Certified Lay Servants after completion of both the Basic and an Advanced course.

2024 Lay Servant Ministries Catalog

TITLE:	REQUIREMENTS:
Certified Lay Servant Laity who have taken the Basic course and one 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 and background check by the conference 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. To download this video, click the share button in the upper right corner of the video window then click the Vimeo link to go to the video's page. Next, click the download button below the video window.	1. Lay servant certification or equivalent (includes Basic Lay Servant course and Each One a Minister or an equivalent Spiritual Gifts discernment course 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 (BeADisciple online modules and East Ohio face-to-face sessions) 6. Development of a Mutual Ministry Team and 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 East Ohio Conference CLM Recertification Process (every 2 years) Recommendation form for CLM Recertification(for District Superintendent and dCOM)