Who or what are Laity? Laity is all church members who are not clergy! That means the vast majority of we United Methodists are laity.
When we became a member of our local United Methodist church, we took an oath to support the church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness. The primary purpose of Lay servant ministries is to help you explore how you can answer your call and fulfill your commitment to your local church. A lay servant is not just someone to provide pulpit supply when the pastor is away, although it can be that. A lay servant is all of us who serve in any and all positions in our churches. If you serve on any committee, teach Sunday school, lead a Bible study, serve a pot-luck meal, repair homes on ASP or UMARMY, visit someone who is homebound, fill in when the pastor is away even beyond the pulpit, then you are a servant. You are “serving as laity” to connect with and serve your fellow Christian church members.
Lay Servant ministers is the formal name given to those who have completed the proper training from the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church. In our district, we are providing many courses to help you understand the extensive possibilities there are to serve your churches. The District Committee on Lay Servant Ministries follows the New York Annual Conference and Denominations protocols. I encourage you to go on the website https://www.nyac.com/layservant, and check it out. You’ll start with the basic course to get the broad overview and then focus in on where your interests lie. These courses will train you to be comfortable and confident in whatever area of interest you choose to pursue.
Peace, Judy Lang, CLM, Nichols UMC