282. Lay Preacher--In order to enhance the quality of ministry to churches of very small membership and in deference to an expression of gifts and graces associated with the lay preacher of early Methodism, the office of lay preacher is to be recognized and utilized.
1. A lay person may be licensed as a lay preacher by the district committee on ordained ministry after the lay person has been a member of The United Methodist Church for a least two years and a member of the present local United Methodist Church for at least one year and has:
a) Made application in writing to the appropriate committee and has been recommended by the pastor of the local church where the person holds membership and by vote of the administrative board/council and/or the charge conference wherein the person holds Church membership.
b) Completed both the basic and advanced training courses to be designed by the General Board of Discipleship or alternate courses to be designed by the annual conference board of discipleship in consultation and cooperation with the cabinet. This is to include competency in the history, polity, and doctrine of The United Methodist Church and compliance with the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church in both letter and spirit.
c) Been recommended by the district superintendent.
d) Completed satisfactorily the same psychological testing required for probationary membership in the annual conference.
e) Appeared before the appropriate committee of the district committee on ordained ministry for review and approval.
f) Satisfied any other standards designed by a conference committee on lay preachers which may be organized in the annual conference.
2. The lay preacher shall continue to serve and worship in the local church where membership resides until and unless he/she is appointed to a church or charge by a district superintendent in whose district the lay preacher's membership resides.
a) The lay preacher is to be relicensed annually. The lay preacher may be utilized in charges or Churches which are left "to be supplied" when it is impractical to serve such congregations with part-time local pastors or ordained clergy.
b) The lay preacher is to be supervised by a pastor in charge, who shall be named by the district superintendent and to whom he/she is accountable and under whom the local Church relates to the connection.
c) The lay preacher shall preach the Word, provide a care ministry to the congregation, and be a witness in the community for the growth and missional thrust of the Church. This assumes an in-residence ministry and assumes that the lay preacher is a person whose integrity and witness as a Christian and as a United Methodist are established. This ministry is to include the promotion of those dimensions of ministry which relate to the connectional Church.
d) The lay preacher is to serve without salary per se, but is to be reimbursed for his/her job-related expenses. There are to be no professionally related benefits such as pension, medical insurance, or equitable compensation.
3. Lay preachers in each district shall be licensed by a district conference or its equivalent structure at the district level and shall be consecrated by the district superintendent in the local Church where membership resides. The lay preacher shall be invested by the district superintendent and the pastor in charge in a worship service at the Church to which he/she is being appointed. This appointment and investiture is to be done after due consultation with the leadership of the local Church and the pastor in charge.
4. The relationship of the lay preacher to the pastor in charge is to be similar to the relationship of an unordained staff person to the senior pastor of a multi-staff church.
5. This category of lay preacher is in addition to the position of certified lay speaker and does not take the place of the certified lay speaker.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 282
1996 United Methodist General Conference