A More Excellent Way
The Serving, Giving & Living
Jackie G. Jenkins
South Carolina Conference
Director of Lay Servant Ministries
Exhorters & Class
Leaders
The early Methodist movement relied
heavily on leaders within the laity to:
- lead prayer
- address people on the subject of religion
- give encouragement and admonition
John Wesley eventually came to
also utilize laity for:
- lay preaching
- teaching
- a variety of other leadership roles
Exhorter to Lay Preacher
Thomas Maxfield
TODAY - laity still play a critical role in
the life of The United Methodist Church,
serving and working along side our clergy
in many different ministry areas
OUR PASTORS CAN’T DO IT ALL
Key Dates and Terms
1746 - Exhorter – Appointed to serve the circuit in the
absence of the pastor
1934 - Lay Speaker
1992 - Local Church & Certified
2006 - Over 3,000 Lay Speakers Serve
2013 – UMC Transitions From “Lay Speaking
Ministries” To “Lay Servant Ministries”
So why the change?
What are the goals of
the new program?
Key Goals
To increase overall laity involvement in the
UMC by broadening the scope of training.
Key Issue
The emphasis of the former Lay
Speaking Ministries program was
on Lay Speaking.
Many people who had no interest
in preaching or public speaking did
not participate in the training.
Result = a relatively small
percentage of laity participated.
Lay Servant Ministries
Broader Focus
Leadership Development
Spiritual Enrichment
Skills Development
Servant Leadership
Broader Course Offering
Course Topics
• Discovering Spiritual
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Gifts
UM Heritage & Polity
Leading Worship
Leading Prayer
Preaching
Lay Pastoral Care
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Discipleship
Evangelism
Stewardship
Senior Adult Ministries
Teaching
Biblical Story Telling
Key Goals
To increase overall laity involvement in the
UMC by broadening the scope of training.
To provide a more rigorous and thorough
training/selection process for those who
wish to pursue Lay Speaking certification.
Course Requirements Comparison For
Lay Speakers
Certified Lay Speaker
Lay Speaker
in former Lay Speaking Ministries
in current Lay Servant Ministries
Basic Course
Basic Course
One Advanced Course in
Lay Speaking
Five Advanced Courses - one in
each of the following areas:
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Preaching
Leading Worship
Leading Prayer
Discovering Spiritual Gifts
UM Heritage & Polity
Why use the
word “servant?”
It best describes what Jesus told his
disciples in John 13 after he himself
performed the duties of the lowliest
servant.
Winter Lay Speaking School
(in the Walterboro District)
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Held at St. George UMC (Feb 26 & 27)
15 courses were conducted
127 laity attended
“Men’s Ministry” course taught for the first time
Next one will be at Carteret UMC (Aug 27 & 28)
Winter Lay Speaking School
(of the Walterboro District)
Winter Lay Speaking School
(of the Walterboro District)
Thanks To
Southern Mutual Insurance
How do Lay Servants
serve the church?
Example Positions/Ministry Areas
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Lay Leaders
Committee Members
Church Council
Trustees
Sunday School Teachers
Ushers
Evangelism
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Greeters
Local Missions
Musicians
Lay Preaching
Prayer Leaders
Lay Pastoral Care
Youth Leaders
Some of our Lay Servants in Action
Some of our Lay Servants in Action
Some of our Lay Servants in Action
Some of our Lay Servants in Action
Some of our Lay Servants in Action
Some of our Lay Servants in Action
Some of our Lay Servants in Action
A More Excellent Way
The Serving, Giving & Living