Certified Lay Speaker
Prepared to Offer Pulpit Supply Across the District
The United Methodist Church has a long history of laity preaching and sharing God’s Word from the pulpit. The certified lay speaker program exists to train, equip, and support laity who are responding to God’s call through the specialized ministry of preaching.
To learn more about lay speakers serving in ministry or to request a speaker for your congregation, visit the Meet Our Lay Speakers page. Certified lay speakers are available to preach in local congregations and are coordinated through district Lay Servant Ministries leadership.
How to Become a Certified Lay Speaker
A certified lay speaker is a certified lay servant who has received additional training to serve as pulpit supply in local churches across the conference. Those who feel called to preach through pulpit supply are encouraged to first become a certified lay servant as part of their preparation for ministry. If you have already completed the lay speaker coursework without becoming a certified lay servant, the lay speaker application can serve as an application to both certifications simultaneously.
- Talk to Your Pastor
Begin by sharing your sense of call with your pastor and church leadership (church council or charge conference). You will need their recommendation as part of the process. - Complete the Required Coursework
Lay speakers complete a focused course of study designed to strengthen skills in worship leadership, preaching, and understanding the life of the United Methodist Church. Courses may be completed in any order and never “expire.” View upcoming courses.
| Course / Topic | Courses that Meet Requirements |
|---|---|
| Basic Course | Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries |
| United Methodist History | Living Our United Methodist Beliefs |
| United Methodist Polity | Life Together in the United Methodist Connection |
| Spiritual Gifts | Discover Your Spiritual Gifts or For the Common Good: Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts |
| Leading Prayer | Public Prayer or Leading in Prayer |
| Leading Worship | Leading Worship |
| Preaching | Called to Preach or From Your Heart to Theirs: Delivering an Effective Sermon |
- Request a Background Check
Lay speakers must complete a background check through our conference provider ($10). - Complete the Certified Lay Speaker Application
- Signatures
When you submit your application, your pastor and church council chair will receive an email requesting their electronic recommendation. Be sure you are in conversation with both so they will anticipate the request. - Interview, Recommendation, and Vote
Once materials are received, your district committee on Lay Servant Ministries will schedule an interview. This interview usually includes presenting a sample sermon. The district committee may then recommend you to the conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries, who may vote to grant you status as a certified lay speaker. Reach out to your district director if you have any questions.
“A pastor asked me a simple question: ‘Are you willing to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ?’ At that moment, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I needed to begin my journey of knowing Christ more deeply, learning God’s Word, and going out to make disciples for Jesus.”
How to Renew
Because certified lay speakers also maintain status as certified lay servants, some renewal expectations occur annually, while others occur every three years. To maintain active status, the following steps are expected:
Every Year:
- Annual Report
Submit an annual report after July 1 and before your church’s charge conference each year. - Advanced Course
Be sure you have completed at least one advanced Lay Servant Ministries course within the past three years. Any Lay Servant Ministries course other than the Basic Course meets this requirement. View upcoming courses.
Some conference learning opportunities are also pre-approved to meet this requirement. - Signatures
When you submit your annual report, your pastor and church council chair will receive an email inviting them to fill out a simple form as their electronic signature to affirm your continued recognition as a certified lay servant. Be sure you are in communication with both so they anticipate this email.
Every Three Years:
- Request a Background Check
Lay speakers must complete a new background check through our conference provider every three years ($10). - Interview
Meet with your district director or district committee on Lay Servant Ministries. The district committee will then recommend you to the conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries for re-certification. - Final Approval
The conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries will review the recommendation and vote on re-certification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be certified in order to preach?
A pastor or congregation may request a preacher for worship from a variety of sources, including clergy and qualified lay people. Certified lay speakers are specially trained and endorsed for this ministry and are the primary source for lay pulpit supply across the conference. District directors for Lay Servant Ministries maintain lists of active certified lay speakers to connect congregations with available preachers when requests are received.
How do I request a certified lay speaker for my congregation?
Requests for certified lay speakers are made through your district director of Lay Servant Ministries. Pastors and church leaders may contact the district director to share the date, location, and worship needs, and the director will help match an available certified lay speaker. You are encouraged to visit the Meet Our Lay Speakers page to explore biographies, view sample sermons, and find contact information for your district.
Are lay speakers paid?
Lay speakers are volunteers who generously share their gifts in ministry. While compensation is not required, congregations are encouraged to offer a small honorarium or, at minimum, travel reimbursement as a way to recognize their time and commitment—especially when they travel a distance to serve.
Where can I find the required courses, and how often are they offered?
Required Lay Servant Ministries courses are offered regularly across the conference, typically once in person and once online each year. View upcoming offerings.
Courses are also available online through BeADisciple for those who need more flexible scheduling, though these courses are offered at a higher cost. To receive credit for a course completed through BeADisciple, please submit your course completion certificate to your district director or lsm@nccumc.org. In some cases, equivalent coursework from a United Methodist seminary or Course of Study program may be considered for credit with approval from the conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries.
Why do I need the support of my local church?
In The United Methodist Church, we recognize that calling is not lived out alone but affirmed and supported by the church. People who sense a call to ordained ministry begin by sharing that call with their local church, where pastors and church leaders help discern gifts and encourage growth. Lay Servant Ministries follows this same pattern of communal discernment, recognizing the essential role of the local church in forming and affirming disciples in their calling.
If you have any questions, reach out to your district director of Lay Servant Ministries or contact Josey Snyder, josey.snyder@nccumc.org, Associate Director of Leadership Development and Christian Formation for the North Carolina Conference.