A major change in Lay Servant Ministry responsibilities occurred during the 2016 General Conference. In a nutshell, the responsibility of oversight of training and final approval of Certified Lay Minister (CLM) status was added to the Great Plains Conference Committee on Lay Servant Ministries (GPCCLSM). How this will change the process is yet to be determined.
While CLMs have always fallen under the Lay Servant Ministry umbrella, the reality was the District Committee on Ordained Ministry (DCOM) actually reviewed the application, interviewed and approved the candidate. The DCOM guided the candidate through the process and provided certification status. While the DCOM will continue to review and interview each candidate, its recommendation will be forwarded to the GPCCLSM, which will provide the final approval.
The conference committee also has some responsibility to provide oversight of the education process. At the request of former Great Plains Conference Bishop Scott Jones, a study of the current training was recently completed by the conference office and submitted to the designated committee for evaluation. A report and recommendation is forthcoming.
Learn more about Lay Servant Ministry, including upcoming training opportunities.
Mary Feit is Lay Servant Ministry director for the Great Plains Conference.
Resources
