Certified Lay Minister Application

Thank you for taking the time to fill out this form. Before you begin, we ask that you pause and pray. It may seem like a lot of questions are coming your way, but it's to help us know you and gives you some opportunities to reflect as well.

If you were previously credentialled as a certified lay servant, certified lay speaker, certified lay minister, deaconess, home missioner, or lay missioner and intend on transferring into the GMC as a Certified Lay Minister, please be prepared to upload supporting documentation.

Please note that you can save and continue this application at any point. Please be prepared to spend about 30 minutes or more filling out this profile form (not including the time needed for the previously mentioned assessment).

It is advised that you save your progress as you move along.

I have carefully read, studied, and understand Part One, Doctrine, and Part Two, Social Witness, of the Book of Doctrines and Discipline of the Global Methodist Church.

I will support, adhere to, and maintain the Doctrines and Social Witness of the Book of Doctrines and Discipline of the Global Methodist Church.

If you have not read these parts of the Book of Doctrines and Discipline you may do so by clicking this link.
I affirm the statements above*

YesNo

Please read over the Certified Lay Minister process and requirements from ¶502 of the Book of Doctrines and Discipline:

1. A certified lay minister is a professing member of a
local congregation who has received special training in Wesleyan doctrine and our denominational polity, and endorsement by the church in order to serve the church as laity. This category encompasses all those who were previously named certified lay servants, certified lay speakers, certified lay ministers, deaconesses, home missioners, and lay missioners. Certified lay ministers may work in any area of the church’s ministry, including leading, teaching, proclaiming/preaching, evangelizing, worship, and caring ministry. As laity, a certified lay minister is not subject to the approval or appointment of the bishop or presiding elder, although they may request the lay minister to serve in a ministry capacity outside his or her own local church.

2. Qualifications. Persons desiring to be certified lay ministers must fulfill the following qualifications:
a. Professing member of a local Global Methodist congregation (or its predecessor) for at least two years.
b. Satisfactory completion of a course in lay ministry, approved by the Ministry and Higher Education Commission, covering the church’s doctrine, history, polity, and basic Bible knowledge.
c. Satisfactory completion of at least one advanced course in lay ministry, approved by the Ministry and Higher Education Commission, on an area of ministry (e.g., preaching, worship leading, caring ministry, etc.). Coursework or training in other settings may be counted to meet this requirement at the discretion of the annual conference board of ministry.
d. National background check.
e. Written recommendation by the pastor and endorsement by majority vote of the pastor-parish relations committee and the charge conference.
f. Interview and approval by the annual conference board of ministry. A public service of commitment recognizing the certification is recommended.

3. Renewal of Certification. Certification for lay ministry may be renewed every three years by the annual conference board of ministry based on the following:
a. An annual report to the charge conference and annual conference board of ministry outlining what ministry was done during the year and giving evidence of satisfactory performance.
b. Endorsement by majority vote of the charge conference annually.
c. Written recommendation for renewal by the pastor.
d. Completion of an additional national background check every three years
e. Satisfactory completion of at least one additional advanced course in lay ministry, approved by the Commission on Ministry, in the last three years.

4. Conditions of service.
a. A certified lay minister serves as a volunteer, but an honorarium and expenses for pulpit supply or other specialized ministries outside one’s own local church are appropriate. A certified lay minister serving as a lay staff member of a church or other ministry should be equitably compensated for their work.
b. Certification as a lay minister may be transferred to another annual conference if the person relocates. Subsequent renewal in that new annual conference is in accordance with ¶ 502.3.
c. Persons who held active certification in a predecessor denomination shall automatically be received as certified lay ministers in the Global Methodist Church, provided that they have met the requirements of ¶ 502.2b-c through coursework in the predecessor denomination, subscribe to the doctrinal standards and Social Witness of this Book of Doctrines and Discipline, and agree to abide by its discipline. Subsequent renewal is in accordance with ¶ 502.3. Those not meeting the requirements of ¶ 502.2b-c are not certified but may work toward certification and are not required to repeat coursework they have already completed.

CLM Application Form

For use by the Northeast Annual Conference Board of Ministry
Initial Information
Name*

PrefixFirst NameMiddle NameLast NameSuffix
Date of Birth*

MonthDayYear
Date
Gender*

MaleFemale
Mailing Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

Zip Code
Primary Phone Number*
Please enter a valid phone number.
Primary Email Address*
example@example.com
Select Your Current Status*
Country of Citizenship*
Marital Status*
Spouse's Name*

First NameLast Name
Wedding Anniversary*

MonthDayYear
Date
Do you have any children living at home?*
Names and Ages of Children Living at Home*
Name of Church Where Your Membership is Held
Church Email Address
example@example.com
Church Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.
Church Mailing Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Are you a previously approved certified lay servant, certified lay speaker, certified lay minister, deaconess, home missioner, or lay missioner who is seeking to transfer that credentialing into the GMC?

YesNo
Please upload any documentation that supports your previous credentialing. This may include certificates, approval meeting minutes, etc...

Cancelof
If you selected "no" above, is this your first time applying to be a Certified Lay Minister in the GMC?

YesNo
If you selected "no" to the previous question, please explain further.

Education and Training History
Please Indicate Any Special Trainings or Education You Have Received
High School
College
Graduate School or Seminary
Postgraduate

Ministry Gifts, Growths, and Assignment Information

For any of the information below, if you don't know an exact number please estimate
What are your gifts for ministry?*
What areas can you grow in?*
Are You Currently Assigned?*
For your current assignment, previous year - List your church membership number*
For your current assignment, previous year - What was your average In-Person Worship attendance?*
For your current assignment, previous year - What was your average online Worship attendance?*
For your current assignment, previous year - Please describe your congregation's attendance patterns, if any:*
For your current assignment, previous year - What was your average online Worship attendance?*
For your current appointment, previous year - Number of Baptisms*
For your current assignment, previous year - Number of Professions of Faith*
For your current assignment, previous year - Number of people in small groups/discipleship groups*
For your current assignment, previous year - Number of first time guests to worship*
For your current assignment, previous year - Number of returning guests to worship*
For your current assignment, previous year - Number of people in hands-on ministry and mission work*
For your current assignment, previous year - Number of people served through missions*
Describe your ministry setting (mission field):*

Are you open to being assigned to serve a church as the pastor?
In which states/regions are you willing to be assigned? (Please write each state/region you are open to)*
Is there any further information that needs to be known?*
Should be Empty:

CLM Application Form

Initial Information

Education and Training History

Ministry Gifts, Growths, and Assignment Information