Lay Speakers
A Lay Speaker is…
- an active, supportive member of the United Methodist Church;
- Eager to serve through the church;
- Well-informed on Scripture, and on the doctrine, heritage, organization, and life of The United Methodist Church;
- Committed to witnessing through church and community leadership, caregiving ministries, and spoken communication;
- Willing to improve his/her skills for service.
Local Church Lay Speakers…
serve in and through their local churches. To be recognized as local church lay speakers, they must be recommended by their pastor and Church Council or Charge Conference, and complete the basic course for lay speaking. Each year they must reapply, reporting how they have served and continued to learn during that year.
Certified Lay Speakers…
serve in their own churches, in other churches, and through district or conference projects and programs.
To be recognized as certified lay speakers, they must be recommended by their pastor and Church Council or Charge Conference, complete the basic course and one advanced lay speaking course, and be interviewed by the District or Conference Committee of Lay Speaking. They must report and reapply annually; and they must complete at least one advanced course every three years.
This information was taken from the following brochure:
Lay Speaking Ministries Brochure (pdf)
Youth Lay Speaking Ministries Brochure (pdf)
Certified Lay Minister Brochure (pdf)
If you are interested in being a Lay Speaker, please speak with Pastor Mark.