Certified Lay Speaker Application

This application is for laity who would like to become certified lay speakers. If you are already a certified lay speaker and need to renew, please fill out the Certified Lay Speaker Renewal / Annual Report. Be sure you have completed all coursework prerequisites before you fill out this application. If you are unsure about the requirements, visit our page on How to Become a Certified Lay Speaker.

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Name

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Data on Applicant

Name*

Prefix First Middle Last Suffix

Preferred First Name*

By what name do you prefer to be addressed? (Example: Cathy instead of Catherine; Bob instead of Robert.) Default is legal first name.

Email*

Enter Email Confirm Email

Phone*

Preferred contact number

Personal Address*

Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

Data on Applicant's Church

Please provide the following information about the church where you are a member.

Church Name and Location*

Enter the name of your church and the town or city where it it located.

District*

This form is only for those interested in becoming certified lay speakers in the North Carolina Conference. In which North Carolina district is your church located?

Pastor's Name*

We will email the pastor a copy of your application, along with a link to fill out a simple form as their electronic signature to affirm your certification as a lay speaker.

First Last

Pastor's Email*

Enter Email Confirm Email

Church Council Chair Name*

Your church council chair will also receive a copy of your application, along with a link to fill out a simple form as their electronic signature to affirm your certification as a lay speaker. This will satisfy the requirement of having your church council or charge conference recommend you for certification.

First Last

Church Council Chair Email*

Enter Email Confirm Email

Prerequisites for Certification

To become a certified lay speaker, you should first receive certification as a certified lay servant. You will also need a background check. Finally, six specific advanced courses are required: 1. Discovering Spiritual Gifts; 2. Leading Worship; 3. Leading Prayer; 4. Preaching; 5. United Methodist History; and 6. United Methodist Polity. If you are missing any of these required courses, you should stop filling out this application and first complete all of the course requirements.

Certified Lay Servant*

To become a certified lay speaker, laity should first follow the process to become a certified lay servant. Are you already a certified lay servant?

Yes, I am a certified lay servant.

No, but I have completed the basic course required to be a certfied lay servant.

Basic Course*

Enter the date (month/year), district, and instructor for the basic course on Lay Servant Ministries that you completed toward your requirements to become a certified lay servant (and speaker). If the course was offered through BeADisciple or another source other than our districts, please enter that in the “district” box.

Date (Month/Year)

District

Instructor

Advanced Courses*

Enter the title/date/location to demonstrate your completion of each of the six advanced courses (listed above). Click the “plus” sign at the end of the row to add the next course. If the course was offered through BeADisciple or another source other than our districts, please enter that in the “district” box.

Course Title

Date (Month/Year)

District

Instructor

Background Check*

NCCUMC policy requires a background check through our Conference provider. Do you need to request a background check?

Yes, please email me the form to request a background check.

No. I have already completed this requirement.

Spiritual Growth and Continued Discernment of Call

Please answer the following questions thoughtfully and prayerfully. These questions are designed to aid in your discernment and to help the district and conference committees on Lay Servant Ministries to walk alongside you as your discern and respond to God’s call in your life.

Personal Spirituality*

What spiritual practices help you grow closer to God?

Aspects of LSM*

Lay Servant Ministries includes ministries of Leading, Caring, and Communicating. Which one of these aspects fits you best and why?

Personal Call*

Do you feel called to be in any area of ministry? How are you working toward that?

Pulpit Supply Information

Availability for Future Preaching*

Are you interested and available to accept invitations to preach this year? Your district director will use this information to connect you with opportunities, and you may update your availability at any time.

Yes! I am eager to accept preaching opportunities as my availability allows.

I preach in my local church, but cannot travel to other congregations on Sundays.

I am not able to accept preaching invitations this year.

Availability*

Please share more about your availability. How often are you interested in preaching? How far are you willing to drive? Would you be open to traveling to other districts? Is there anything else that your district director needs to know?

More Information*

Thanks for letting us know. Because the Certified Lay Speaker role usually involves serving beyond your home congregation, could you share a little more about your sense of calling as a lay speaker?

Worship Leader*

Churches requesting pulpit supply often expect the preacher to lead the full worship service. Are you comfortable serving as worship leader or do you need support? Please be specific about the support you need. We always encourage clear communication between the church, the district director, and the lay speaker so that roles and expectations are clear prior to the service.

Instructions for Your Bio

Once you are certified, we would like to add you to our Meet Our Lay Speakers page. Please provide a short bio (about 3 sentences) that we can post there.

A simple way to write your bio:

Introduce yourself (name and church).
Share why you are a lay speaker or what you enjoy about preaching.
Add one or two details about yourself (family, work, hobbies, or other church involvement).

Example:
Sally Smith is a member of First UMC in Anytown, NC. She enjoys connecting the stories of the Bible to our daily lives and loves seeing the “aha” moment when people hear God’s Word in a fresh way. Sally sings in her church choir and also serves as the congregation’s historian.

Short Bio*

Type your short bio below. We will not add it to the website until you are officially certified by the NC Conference Committee on Lay Servant Ministries.

Preaching Video Sample*

In an effort to increase the visibility of our certified lay speakers, we would like to add sample videos of a sermon for each lay speaker to the short bios on our Meet Our Lay Speakers page. Do you have a video we could post online for this purpose? If so, we will reach out to you and work together on the best way to share the file.

Yes, I already have a video available.

Yes, I will make a video the next time I preach.

I am open to this, but I need help making the video.

I am not interested in providing a video at this time.

Preaching Video URL (optional)

If you already have a video online, paste the URL here. Please do not include Facebook links, as those videos may not remain available long term.

Next Steps

Once you apply, we will reach out to your pastor and the church council chair for their signatures using our online form. You will want to reach out to both to discuss your intentions, if you have not already. Once we have received signatures from both and it is clear you have met all prerequisites, your district committee on Lay Servant Ministries will schedule an interview with you.

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Laity Ministries

Data on Applicant

Data on Applicant's Church

Prerequisites for Certification

Spiritual Growth and Continued Discernment of Call

Pulpit Supply Information

Instructions for Your Bio

Next Steps