Lay servant? Lay Leader? Circuit Lay Leader? Seems like a lot of “lay” going on! There is and it is awesome! As our churches age and some of our congregations are unable to hire enough pastors to care for their various needs there are lay people willing to help! Lay positions are held by those individuals who are trained and feel called to ministry yet haven’t met the requirements to be clergy.

In our church governance structure as outlined by the Book of Discipline every congregation has a lay leader. That lay leader represents the laypeople in the congregation in working with the pastor for the mission and vision of the congregation. This looks differently in each church and is really negotiated between the lay leader and the pastor.

Our local churches in Wyoming are organized by circuits and we have identified individuals who are willing to serve as circuit lay leaders. Rose Rennell serves in the Northeast circuit; Rosa Salzman serves in the Southwest circuit; Wanda Denton serves in the Southeast circuit; Diane Martin serves in the Bighorn Circuit and we are still praying that a circuit lay leader will come forward in the Central Circuit. I currently serve as the Wyoming lay leader. Your local lay leader has a great resource in the Circuit Lay leaders and myself. We are here to serve you and help however we are able.

The term “Lay Servants” is the newest name for what used to be called Lay Ministers. It’s the same program, with local church Lay Servants (who take the basic course) and Certified Lay Servants (who take the basic plus at least one advanced course every 3 years). Each Lay Servant still submits a report each year to the charge conference with a request for renewal. Lay servants can serve and lead in a variety of ways.

These are exciting times for the United Methodist Church laity and clergy as we discover ways to increase our resources efficiently and cost effectively while joining together in ministry opportunities. If you are interested in serving as a lay servant simply drop an e-mail to your local pastor or the Wyoming District office and we will connect you with the person who can help you “take the next step”!

In His Service, J

Michelle

Dr. Michelle Aldrich

Wyoming Lay Leader