Lay Servant Ministries Certification Based on 2016 Book of Disicpline        

Effective January 17, 2017

The General Conference 2016 met in Portland, Oregon in April. Virginia Conference Lay Servant Ministries had representation with 11 of the 14 laity delegates, alternates, and staff are Lay Servants in good standing.  They are Martha Stokes (head of the Virginia Delegation), Warren Harper (conference lay leader), Shirley Cauffman, Nathaniel Bishop, Darlene Amon, Joyce Winston, Gene Mims, Linda Rhodes, Lori Valentine de Segovia, Olivia Hinton, and Beth Christian, the associate conference director of Lay Servant Ministries.

The changes that were made were all good. We are pleased with that development as it is another opportunity to strengthen our ministry in order to work towards improved clergy/laity partnerships across the conference.  We have three levels of certification:
1. Certified Lay Servant is approved at the District Level
2. Certified Lay Speaker is approved at the Conference Level
3. Certified Lay Minister is approved in concert with the District Superintendent,  District Committee on Ordained Ministry and the Conference Committee of Lay Servant Ministries.   

The role of the Certified Lay Servants, Certified Lay Speakers, and Certified Lay Ministers is outlined in the chart below (or click here to download a pdf).  

Your District Directors are currently working on these guidelines to present to the Bishop’s Cabinet for approval so they may be implemented with one voice across the entire Conference.  

The goal is to have everything in place in every district eight months in advance of Local Charge Conferences 2017.

Take to heart the words of Bishop Lewis: “Stir Up the Gifts” of each of us for the transformation of the world in the name of Jesus Christ.

--David Bailey, Conference Director of Lay Servant Ministry