There is no ministry that can exist, let alone succeed, without laity.
Food pantries, prayer groups, welcome teams, and especially Sunday worship, are all nothing without the people of God gathering together to work toward a common goal.
“Laity” is the term we give to members of the Church who are not ordained. The term comes from the Greek “λαος,” which just means “people.” Though the term suggests a fundamental separation between the two groups, the United Methodist Church does not see the ordained as essentially different from those who do not pursue ordination. According to the Book of Discipline (127, 129), ordination is just one of many specialized ministries available to the people of God, and there is a complete equality of importance and dignity between all calls a person may or may not pursue.
“Our strength as a Church comes when the laity is involved and leading ministry in various forms,” explained Kristi Wilkerson, conference lay leader and director of the Upshur Parish house in Buckhannon.
“We have so many great laity in this conference, and we appreciate all they do. Be active in your local church, and be active in all you do. Follow your own discipleship journey and do something to follow your call and strengthen your gifts.”
Kristi Wilkerson, WVUMC Lay Leader
The Lay Ministry Team, led by Wilkerson and conference representatives from each district, alongside conference staff, works to develop educational and professional resources to allow anyone who feels a call to ministry to grow that calling into something fruitful and vibrant.
“We all have a calling, and we all have gifts to give,” Wilkerson said. “There are so many options, and you cannot go wrong when you go into ministry.”
No ministry is too large or small for laity. Wilkerson shared stories of prayer ministries, baking ministries and hospitality groups that have formed across churches, districts and conferences. These ministries were in response to needs identified by laity and developed in collaboration with other members across the connection. This collaborative work often includes clergy, but that is far from universal.
“The pastor does not need to be the one leading ministry, and we need laity to lead if we want to grow the Church and grow the Kingdom,” Wilkerson said.
The Lay Ministry Team focuses its mission on equipping laity to pursue their calling wherever it leads. The trainings available through the conference cover a wide range of topics. While the basic course covers general principles of servant leadership, advanced courses are offered to allow people to explore what their call to service might look like. Three categories of lay leadership are generally identified — lay servants, lay speakers and lay ministers. The exact breakdown of these terms is available here. The requirements for certification are diverse and designed to help each person explore their calling.
“A great part of our requirements for certification is that it gives you experience in several things, and what you try may not be your thing, but it helps you to discern what your calling really is,” Wilkerson said.
Ministry is dependent upon collaboration, and the work of the West Virginia Conference Lay Ministry Team is no different. The trainings offered are based on the feedback of members of each congregation and developed alongside relevant experts in the given topic.
“The Spiritual Formation group is offering a prayer retreat in November in Beckley,” Wilkerson said.“ This came from Spiritual Formation seeing a need and then putting that topic forward to meet that need. We respond to our time and what is going on now.”
This is reflected in the many educational opportunities offered regularly by the conference. Upcoming Fresh Expressions workshops, the above-mentioned Fresh Winds prayer retreat and lay academies across the conference are only some of the ways laity are being equipped for ministry.
Wilkerson encouraged anyone who feels a call to ministry, whatever form that may take, to pursue it.
“Talk your pastor, or your D.S., or your district team, to me or to Ken Willard, or anyone in conference leadership,” she said. “We might have the resources now, or we might need to put them together. If you have an idea or a question, someone else does too, and we can connect people together and make something great out of that and make it fruitful.”
For those unsure what they might be called to, Wilkerson recommends beginning with the “Discover your S.H.A.P.E.” course on Portico, as well as taking any other courses that seem interesting on the platform. The ministry of the Church begins and ends with the laity, and Wilkerson wants everyone to take part in it.
“Go out there and meet people and get to know folks and start something new,” she said. “It is all very exciting. We have so many great laity in this conference, and we appreciate all they do. Be active in your local church, and be active in all you do. Follow your own discipleship journey and do something to follow your call and strengthen your gifts.”
The full laity team, and their contact information, is listed here. For additional information on lay ministry, contact your local lay leader.
Follow this link for a special Laity Sunday Bulletin
Follow this link for a special Laity Sunday Poster
Follow this link for a Laity Sunday Worship Preaching Notes
—John Langenstein is a licensed local pastor at North View United Methodist Church, Clarksburg, and a member of the W.Va. Conference Communication Team.