Church Team
Certified lay ministers do not serve alone. Every certified lay minister is supported by a group of people from the congregation who provide encouragement, discernment, accountability, and ongoing support for their ministry.
This page explains who serves on that team, what their role is, and how existing leadership structure like church council and S/PPRC congregations serve important roles in providing support and accountability throughout the process.
Who Serves on the Team?
During the Candidate Training Program, CLM candidates form a mutual ministry team (MMT). The MMT includes the CLM candidate, their clergy mentor (usually the pastor of their membership church), and three to five additional laity from the congregation.
Together, the candidate and clergy mentor invite individuals who can support the candidate’s discernment, learning, and ministry development. Team members could include leaders who are:
- familiar with the congregation’s mission and ministries
- actively involved in the congregation’s leadership and decision-making
- knowledgeable about the candidates gifts and calling
- willing to ask honest questions and offer encouragement
Churches often include leaders such as the lay leader, members of the Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Committee (S/PPRC), church council members, ministry leaders, or other trusted members of the congregation. The goal is to form a team that supports the candidate throughout the training process.
Continuing Support for the Ministry
During the Candidate Training Program, the mutual ministry team (MMT) provides primary support for the candidate. After certification, churches have flexibility in how they structure continued support.
In some churches, the MMT continues in its role after certification. In others, these responsibilities move to existing leadership structures such as the S/PPRC or church council.
When a CLM serves in a setting outside their home congregation, a new support team is formed in the congregation or ministry setting where they are assigned. In the case of a lay pastor assignment, the S/PPRC of the assigned church fulfills this role.
What is Our Role?
The mutual ministry team serves as a conversation partner throughout the Candidate Training Program. During the training process, team members may:
- Pray for the candidate and their ministry
- Discuss insights from coursework and assignments
- Help identify ministry opportunities within the congregation and community
- Ask questions that encourage reflection and discernment
- Offer feedback, encouragement, and support
- Participate in conversations about the ministry covenant
A key responsibility of the mutual ministry team is helping develop and review the ministry covenant.
What is the Ministry Covenant?
The ministry covenant is a shared agreement that guides the relationship between the certified lay minister, clergy mentor, review team, and congregation. The covenant is developed collaboratively during the Candidate Training Program and reflects the conviction that certified lay ministers serve with the congregation, not independently from it.
A ministry covenant typically addresses:
- The ministry the CLM will carry out
- Commitments shared by the CLM, congregation, and clergy mentor
- Support, supervision, and accountability
- Continuing education and growth
- Plans for covenant review and ministry evaluation
The covenant is a living document and should be reviewed at least annually and updated as needed. CLM candidates must submit a signed ministry covenant prior to their initial interview with the district committee on ordained ministry (dCOM). After certification, CLMs are asked to submit their most recent ministry covenant each year as part of their annual report. The covenant also serves as the foundation for the formal ministry review completed every two years as part of the recertification process.
A ministry covenant template is available as a guide and may be adapted to fit the context of the ministry.
Congregational Support and Endorsement
Certified lay ministry is rooted in the life and discernment of the local church. For this reason, key church leadership bodies participate in both the beginning and ongoing support of a CLM’s ministry.
Beginning Discernment
Before entering the Candidate Training Program, a CLM candidate must be recommended by both the Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Committee (S/PPRC) and the church council (or charge conference). These recommendations reflect the congregation’s discernment of the candidate’s gifts for ministry and their support of the candidate’s call.
Ongoing Affirmation and Review
After certification, the church continues to affirm and support the CLM’s ministry. Each year, the church council (or charge conference) provides a recommendation for renewal, following the same process of annual affirmation required for certified lay servants and certified lay speakers. The CLM is also included in the congregation’s annual charge conference report.
In addition, the church council, S/PPRC, or charge conference participates in the formal ministry review required for recertification every two years. This review is based on the ministry covenant and provides an opportunity to reflect on ministry effectiveness, growth, and ongoing alignment with the mission of the congregation.
Together, these practices keep CLM ministry grounded in the life and discernment of the local church as a shared team ministry.