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The ability to maintain confidences and a commitment to personal faith development are the two most important qualities to look for when choosing a local church lay leader, according to both pastors and lay leaders of the Detroit Annual Conference.

Agreement on these selection criteria was one of the discoveries emerging from a survey at last May’s Annual Conference gathering that garnered responses from one third of the Conference’s 364 sole or senior local church pastors and 436 lay leaders.

Both pastors and lay leaders also agree that the least important qualifications for serving as lay leader are the availability to also serve as lay member to Annual Conference and being a certified lay speaker, both of which are recommended by The Book of Discipline, the denomination’s collected volume of governing rules and regulations.

The low rating for certified lay speaker was one of the more surprising outcomes of the survey, according to Ralph Czerepinski, survey analyst and lay leader for the Conference’s Saginaw Bay District.

“We weren’t sure what to make of their low regard for certification until we differentiated between pastors who had certified lay speakers serving as lay leaders and those who did not,” said Czerepinski.

“When we looked at these two clergy groups separately, we found that those who had lay leaders who were also certified lay speakers ranked the performance of lay leaders at a significantly higher level than did the pastors whose lay leaders lacked certification.”

This finding lead the survey team to conclude that clergy may not realize it, but they are more likely to find competence among lay leaders who have put forth the time and effort to attain certification.

“If you choose a lay leader who is, or is willing to work for, lay speaker certification, you can be pretty sure that you have someone who is committed to personal faith development and doing a good job,” said Detroit Conference Lay Leader Mike Clark

Although “speaking” remains its middle name, Lay Speaking Ministries (LSM) is no longer focused simply on occasional pulpit supply. Instead, the focus is really on encouraging and training laity to be better servant leaders in partnership with pastors and congregations.

LSM offers a variety of leadership training opportunities. For example, the basic course encourages each participant to examine their call to Christian service and offers opportunities to learn how to respond to that call. Advanced courses focus on stewardship, congregational evangelism, caring ministries, spiritual disciplines, servant leadership and UM history and tradition, as well as preaching and worship planning. Recently introduced advanced courses cover leading Bible study, developing a personal prayer life and organizing small groups.

Trained lay speakers can offer a wide variety of talent and experience in partnership with pastors and congregations. This partnership enables pastors to focus on the tasks and  ministries that need their greatest attention and for which their specialized training is most effective. Furthermore, when specific ministries can be delegated to qualified and motivated laity, congregations can extend their reach through expanded visitation and member care, innovative outreach and missions programs and enhanced communication.

LSM is a win-win-win situation for the United Methodist Church. Laity gain knowledge, experience and confidence; pastors gain leaders they can depend upon to multiply their effectiveness; and congregations extend their reach within and beyond their communities.

The Marquette District has a vital Lay Speaking Ministries Training program, headed up by Bob Hampton. Contact Bob for details or to request additional courses, 906-228-6678.

Go to the Lay Speaking Ministries’ excellent web site to find out everything you could ever want to know about the subject!

Lay Speaking Director for the Marquette district

is Bob Hampton. Contact him with questions or for

class requests: 906-228-6678.

February 4 & 11, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each Saturday

Escanaba First UMC

Basic Course

Tom Snyder, Leader

Registration Fee $25

February 4 & 11, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each Saturday

Gladstone Memorial UMC

Advanced Course - “Servant Leaders”

Laurie delaGarza, Leader

Registration Fee $30

April 28 & May 5, Noon to 5:30 p.m. each Saturday

Houghton Grace UMC

Basic Course

Julie Crowl & Mike Moore

Registration Fee $25

April 28 & May 5, Noon to 5:30 p.m. each Saturday

Hancock First UMC

Advanced Course - “Go Preach”

Rev. Amy Terhune, Leader

Registration Fee - $30

May 5 & 12, Noon to 5:30 p.m. each Saturday

Engadine UMC

Basic Course

Ruth McCarney, Leader

Registration Fee - $25

TBA

East End Area

Advanced Course