The Role of the Laity
in the Local Church
WSG District Lay Ministry
Mission Statement
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As Laymen of the CME Church, our
mission is to:
Study to become equipped to teach
Seek to encourage
Share God’s Word
Serve the church and the community
INTRODUCTION
In defining the Role of the Laity in the Local
Church, one must first know and understand the
difference between laity and the lay council.
Lay are those persons who are members of the
CME Church and who are not ordained.
Local lay members must make an affirmative
election to join the local Lay Council. That is
to
say a layperson is not an automatic member
of
the Local Lay Council by virtue of status as a
layperson unless a choice is made to unite in
membership with the Council.
As laity, we must fully understand our role
and our calling in the life of the church.
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The Lay Ministry is one of the most important
components of the CME Church because
without the lay, the church could not and would
not function.
First and foremost the primary role of the laity is
to be an advocate and witness for Christ, and to
be continually involved in learning about the
church and community, to the end that the
church grows in fulfilling its mission.
The Lay Ministry Beliefs Of:
 Studying
 Seeking
 Sharing
 Serving
should be a part of every layperson’s
conscious.
STUDY
To show thyself knowledgeable, be one
who is continually growing in the
understanding and the interpretation of
God’s Word, and of the procedures,
organizational structure, history, laws, and
doctrines of the CME Church.
STUDY
The Holy Bible and attend Bible Study and
Sunday School
 The Discipline of the CME Church
 Parliamentary procedure
 The history of the CME Church
 Support the development of a vigorous
teaching ministry.

Why we study:
We study and learn in order to equip
ourselves and to teach others.
 Studying increases understanding;
stimulates spiritual growth; builds and
strengthens confidence; and helps to light
the path on ones way to helping others.

SEEK
Seek God first and in all things, seek
out lost and misdirected souls.
Seek out fellow lay men and lay
women who have become
discouraged and now need a helping
hand or a word of encouragement.
SEEK
To inspire other members to become more
informed about the church.
 To make Christian commitment
increasingly more meaningful as it relates
to ones whole life.
 To develop personal evangelism.

We must have a reaching-seeking
attitude; seeking God in all of his
righteousness will not allow us to stay
preoccupied with ourselves and our
own selfish desires. The local church
is where our labor should be
constant, always being on watch for
ways to do our part in helping to
perfect others.
SHARE
and give back to God and his church a
portion of that which only God, himself,
can give. As laity we must accept the role
of bringing about a greater awareness and
commitment, among members, through
the grace of giving.
SHARE
In ways that will inspire others to become
more informed and committed to the
church.
 Personal treasures, time, and talent in the
development of a tithing program.
 Positive thoughts and encourage financial
support of the Church’s programs.

SERVE
Mankind through God’s church by taking
on the attitude of one who looks to serve
rather than one who expects to be served.
The layman’s role is that of a servant who
models by percept and example.
SERVE
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Well and promote Christian Stewardship.
Serve so that others may grow in confidence;
support the development of lay speakers.
Serve in a way that promotes and maintains a
good working relationship between pastor and
laity.
Our service should be our badge. To serve with
a glad heart pleases God and strengthens the
Church.
If the local church is to be
strong and vibrant, laity must
wear the role of tither, embodied
by the Stewardship of Time and
Stewardship of Talents.
Lay Ministry Objectives:
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To study the Holy Bible
To engage in ministries yet unfulfilled in the local
church
To promote Christian Stewardship
To study the Discipline of the C.M.E. Church
To establish a sound financial system
To inspire other members to become informed
about the Church
To assist in developing a tithing program
To make Christian commitment increasingly more
meaningful as it relates to a person’s whole life,
Lay Objectives (continued)
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To help develop personal evangelism
To develop a lay speaking bureau
To study parliamentary procedure
To study the history of the C.M.E. Church
To maintain a good working relationship
between pastor and laity
To encourage financial support of the Church’s
programs
To develop a vigorous lay teaching ministry
How Can We Make A Difference?
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Every local church should at all times have a
representative present at the local, district,
regional lay meetings, district, and annual
conferences.
Each local church should, when possible,
send a representative to the Connectional Lay
Institute and other Connectional meetings.
We must unite and become involved in what is
going on and let our voices be heard.
Then and only then will we see change.
Conclusion:
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We must provide the time. If we want to use our
bodies in partnership with God, we must build
time for ministry in our schedules. This takes
self-control.
We must provide the skills—this means that the
right people will be in the right places for the
right reasons doing the right things.
Successful lay ministry will come when we learn
to listen to all people, we must become
community outreach stations, and we must be
committed in our work and we must become
equipping and sending stations where we train and
equip persons for ministry and send them out into
the community for mission and ministry.
 Lay people are not lazy, we just need purpose,
motivation, and direction.
 We must reemphasize the importance of the lay
ministry in our church. We must also emphasize
that the laity is seeking only to participate in all
phases of church work in the Methodist tradition
and NOT to exercise CONTROL. It has been
found that many of the problems relating to
clergy-lay relationship come from
misunderstandings.
The Lay Ministry, in every instance, should be
directed toward improving the total church
program. It has also been found that ministers
are more cooperative when there is a feeling of
mutual trust.
In order to be effective in Lay Ministry, we must
be willing to serve; have the desire to grow; a
willingness to change and accept change; have
the ability to dream and see possibilities for
service in our churches; and most of all, we
must have a love for Christ.
References:
Connectional Lay Council Program of
Study by Clifford L. Harris
 Lay Manual of the Department of Lay
Ministry
 The Book of Discipline of the Christian
Methodist Episcopal Church, 2006
Compiled by Severne Budd, WSG District
Lay Leader
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