District Committee on Ordained Ministry
Guidelines for Interviews with Certified Lay Ministers (CLMs)
The district committee on ordained ministry (dCOM) is charged with interviewing a candidate to help them in the discernment process and to determine fitness and potential for ministry. Following the interview, the committee either recommends or does not recommend to the conference committee on Lay Servant Ministries the certification of the candidate. Upon receiving this recommendation, the LSM committee is charged with the final review and approval of the CLM.
About CLMs
- CLMs are assigned by the district superintendent to a ministry setting, often to work as part of a ministry team in their own local church. CLMs can also be assigned as a lay pastor to another local church or to a ministry setting outside of the local church.
- All CLMs serve as part of a ministry team, and that team includes a clergy mentor assigned by the district superintendent. When a CLM is assigned to a ministry in their own local church, their pastor usually serves as their clergy mentor.
- After their initial training (including completing the four CLM modules), CLMs are required to complete a continuing education event every two years. Lay Servant Ministry advanced courses meet this requirement.
Initial Certification and Renewal
Laity seeking initial certification will need their dCOM interview in the spring (March-May) to prepare for recognition and commissioning at Annual Conference. The following items should be available for dCOM to review prior to recommending for initial certification:
- Application to the CLM Training program, including their initial recommendations from their pastor, district superintendent, church council chair, and S/PPRC chair
- Psychological evaluation with specific suggested interview questions drawn from the evaluation
- Background check
- Recommendation for certification from the district superintendent (sometimes completed after or concurrent to the dCOM recommendation)
Once certified, CLMs meet with dCOM every two years to be recommended for renewal. Interviews for renewals ideally take place in the fall (September-October). The following items should be available for dCOM to review prior to recommending for renewal:
- Annual Reports from the past two years
- Updated ministry covenant
- Ministry review (completed by church council or S/PPRC once every two years prior to renewal)
- Recommendation for recertification from the DS (sometimes completed after or concurrent to the dCOM recommendation)
Guidelines for dCOM Interviews
- Interview committees should be looking at a candidate’s openness to grow, willingness to be part of the covenant, and commitment to the doctrines of The United Methodist Church.
- John Wesley and Francis Asbury believed that all pastors, both lay and clergy, should read and continue to grow and develop as spiritual leaders. The dCOM, after meeting with a candidate, might require the candidate to further study a particular area of ministry, perhaps working with a mentor or coach.
Suggested Questions
- Tell us about your faith journey and your understanding of the call of God upon your life.
- How would you describe your understanding of God, Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit?
- How have you experienced the presence of God in your ministry?
- Tell us about a leadership experience you have had in the local church within the last year.
- Share with us a conflict situation in which you have been involved and how you dealt with it.
- Tell us how your service in your local church has demonstrated your appreciation of the history, doctrine, polity, worship and liturgy of The United Methodist Church.
- What gifts, skills, and abilities do you bring to certified lay ministry?
- Describe the covenant you have developed with your mutual ministry team.
- Where do you feel your ministry needs to be strengthened?
- What are you doing for personal spiritual growth?
- What are you doing to take care of yourself physically?
Additional Information
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