The commissioned lay pastor is an elder of the Presbyterian Church (USA), who is granted a local commission by the presbytery to lead worship and preach the gospel, watch over the people, and provide for their nurture and service. This commission is valid only in one or more congregations designated by the presbytery. (G-14.0800)

Process of becoming a Commissioned Lay Pastor

Outline of Process
- A Lay Preacher or Pastor must be an ordained elder in good standing in the congregation of which s/he is a member.
- Seek information and an application from the presbytery.
- Ask the Session of your church for their endorsement and have them send it to presbytery.
- Mail completed application to presbytery along with a 300-word essay entitled, "Why I feel called to be a Commissioned Lay Pastor," and a one-page statement of faith.
- Psychological/vocational testing, arranged through the LP Committee, must be completed within the first year of training.
- An ordained minister mentor will be identified and approved for each LP trainee.
- Complete Level One training requirements.
- Be evaluated by Lay Pastor Committee to be approved and placed on presbytery supply preaching list and continue into Level Two.
- Complete Level Two training requirements.
- Complete an evaluation process by the Lay Pastor Subcommittee.
- Level Two trainees who complete all requirements will receive a certificate of preparation and will be available to be commissioned to serve a particular church for one year at a time, ordinarily not to exceed a three year term of service. Upon receipt of a call COM will examine the trainee.

- Assessing the Call.
When women and men, by God's providence and gracious gifts, are called by the church to undertake particular forms of ministry, the church shall help them to interpret their call and to be sensitive to the judgements and needs of others. As persons discover the forms of ministry to which they are called, and as they are called to new forms, they and the church shall pray for the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit upon them and upon the mission of the Church. (G.60105) To those called to exercise special functions in the church … God gives suitable gifts for their various duties. In addition to possessing the necessary gifts and abilities, natural and acquired, those who undertake particular ministries should be persons of strong faith, dedicated discipleship, and love of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Their manner of life should be a demonstration of the Christian gospel in the church and in the world. They must have the approval of God's people and the concurring judgment of a governing body of the church. (G-6.0106)

 

Becoming a Lay Pastor is not an easy decision. As stated in the Book of Order reference above, a person who feels God moving them toward this type of ministry should first turn to their church for help in discerning God's will. The Session should pray with and for the person and recommend them to the program only if and when they feel that the person's sense of call is genuine and divinely initiated.

The person wishing to become a Lay Pastor should possess the gifts, faith, dedication and a Christian lifestyle appropriate for one called to lead and pastor God's people. In assisting the person to determine God's will the Session should look for these qualities and be attentive as well to the approval of the people in the congregation and the larger community. Appropriately, it is often the church that first recognizes the gifts for lay leadership; and therefore, a member or group of the congregation may suggest to the person or the Session that new avenues of ministry should be explored.

It is necessary to the integrity and health of the church that the persons who serve in it as officers shall adhere to the essentials of the Reformed faith and polity as expressed in The Book of Confessions and the Form of Government. (G-6.0108)

A Lay Pastor, like any ordained member of the PC (USA), has responsibilities not only to the local church, but to the larger church as well. Therefore, applicants must be ordained Elders, willing to submit to the authority of Holy Scripture, the tenets of the Reformed faith, and the polity of the church. They should have an appreciation of and a willingness to support the work of the Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly of the PC (USA). The decision as to whether a person has departed from essentials of the Reformed faith and polity is made initially by the individual, but ultimately becomes the responsibility of the governing body in which s/he serves. (This may be the church, presbytery or a larger body, or a combination of these.) (Reference G-1.0301, G-1.0302) Persons wishing to apply to the LP program should familiarize themselves with the Constitutional provisions governing CLPs listed in G-14.0801, with particular emphasis on the questions to be asked at commissioning (G-14.0801.e).

Becoming a Candidate.

Educational Requirements

The elder shall be instructed in Bible, Reformed Theology and Sacraments, Presbyterian Polity, preaching, leading worship, pastoral care, and teaching. (G-14.0801.a)

Level One Requirements

The Level One program consists of ~170 hours (spread over one academic year) of course work and study. The trainees meet on a monthly basis from September through June. Each trainee must complete all course work and attend an extended 60-85 hour (depending on curriculum) Bible study in order to receive certification The trainee is responsible for all written assignments, which should be turned into the specific instructor for evaluation. The instructor will send assignments, with his/her comments, to the presbytery staff person assigned to the  Lay Pastors Committee. Trainees may view their assignments and instructor's comments at the presbytery office, but may not take anything from his/her file without permission from the LP Committee.
Required courses are offered at a central location once each year. Realizing that absences are inevitable, the LP Committee may approve allowances on an individual basis. In these cases, the trainee may make up the course work or may take the course in another year.

Level Two Requirements

The Role of Presbytery

Recruiting and Training

The commissioned lay pastor is an elder of the Presbyterian Church (USA), who is granted a local commission by the presbytery to lead worship and preach the gospel, watch over the people, and provide for their nurture and service. This commission is valid only in one or more congregations designated by the presbytery. Such an elder is selected by and receives training approved by the presbytery. … The elder shall be examined by the appropriate committee of presbytery as to personal faith, motives for seeking the commission, and the areas of instruction mentioned previously. (G-14.0801.a)

The Lay Pastor Committee works under the direction of the Presbytery of New Hope's Committee on Ministry. As the representing body of the COM, the Lay Pastor Committee has the responsibility of recruiting, training, commissioning and nurturing Commissioned Lay Pastors to serve in local congregations who cannot for whatever reason secure an ordained Minister of the Word and Sacraments. The Lay Pastor Committee is made up of three classes of three members with equal numbers of elders and ministers representing the constituency of the Presbytery. Commissioned Lay Pastors and/or trainees are represented on the Committee, but do not participate in the evaluation of trainees or annual review of CLPs. The chair of the Lay Pastor Committee is a member of COM and reports directly to that body on behalf of the committee. All work of the Lay Pastor Committee is supervised and approved by the COM, and ultimately by the Presbytery.
With the aid of the local church, the Lay Pastor Committee identifies those with special gifts for the lay pastorate (reference G-6.0106). The Lay Pastor Committee reviews and responds to the applicant. Trainees for CLP come under the care of the endorsing church, minister mentor and the Lay Pastor Committee.

The CLP educational program is offered annually if there is a minimum of six applicants for that particular level. (The minimum requirement is due to the cost of the training.) Each level, One and Two, will be offered whenever possible. The Lay Pastor Committee is responsible for recruiting qualified instructors for each discipline, and arranging the date, time, and location for each course. Special care is taken to offer the best training possible within the means of the Lay Pastor Committee.

Throughout the training process, the Lay Pastor Committee stays in contact with each trainee to offer encouragement and answer questions. An annual retreat brings the Lay Pastor Committee together with the trainees and commissioned lay pastors for specific instruction, mutual support and fellowship. The retreat offers the Lay Pastor Committee members an opportunity to get to know the trainees better, and vise versa. It also serves to strengthen the overall program by connecting traineeswith those already commissioned.

The CLP program benefits from the educational opportunities offered by the presbytery through the Division of Congregational Ministries, namely Growing Together and S.T.A.R.T. (See Educational Requirements for a description of these events.) Trainees are required to attend these events participating in classes that are recommended by the Lay Pastor Committee. The Lay Pastor Committee evaluates each trainee annually and makes a recommendation to COM as to his/her effectiveness as a CLP. A Certificate of Preparation will be granted to those satisfactorily completing the educational requirements. The Lay Pastor Committee may recommend that more preparation is needed, or that the trainee does not meet the necessary requirements to be commissioned. These recommendations are sent to COM.

COM has the authority to place trainees on the temporary supply list for the presbytery. Trainees who have completed Level Two will also be available to be commissioned to a particular congregation.

Commissioning

A temporary supply may be a … commissioned lay pastor … secured by the session to conduct services when there is no pastor or the pastor is unable to perform pastoral duties. The session shall seek the counsel of presbytery through its committee on ministry before securing a temporary supply. (G-14.0513.d)

 COM will counsel churches that may be best served by a CLP or who make a request for a CLP, and appoint a liaison to work with the church throughout the process. Once a church has issued an invitation to a particular person, the Examinations Committee of COM will examine the candidate as to his/her preparedness and qualifications. (This exam will be similar in nature to the exam given Ministers of the Word and Sacraments being called by a church.) Hearing the recommendation of the Examinations Committee, the COM will vote whether to recommend the candidate to the floor of presbytery for examination and approval for commissioning.

When a presbytery, in consultation with the session or other responsible committee, determines that its strategy for mission in a local church requires it, and after additional instruction deemed necessary by the presbytery has been provided, a presbytery may authorize a commissioned lay pastor to perform any or all of the following functions described in (1)-(6) below…. (G-14.0801.c)

A church may request that a CLP be able to perform certain functions here-to-fore reserved for a Minister of the Word and Sacraments. The Book of Order authorizes six functions:
administering the Lord's Supper
administering the Sacrament of Baptism
moderating the session (under presbytery supervision)
having a voice in meetings of the presbytery
having a vote in meetings of the presbytery (as an elder commissioner)
performing a service of Christian marriage
(when invited by the session and allowed by the state)

The Presbytery establishes the precedent for which of these functions a CLP may be commissioned to perform. With the satisfactory completion of Level One and Level Two training, and with a call in hand, a CLP may be approved for all privileges with the exception of performing weddings pending a successful interview by the Examinations Committee, endorsement by the COM, and the vote of the presbytery.

When a Lay Pastor receives a call and is approved by COM to accept the call, a written agreement is established through COM as to what functions the CLP will perform for the church. Although s/he is contracted through presbytery, the church is responsible for the financial compensation and Christian nurture of the CLP, just as would be the case for an ordained clergy. Compensation depends upon the circumstances of the church, the number of hours expected from the CLP (part-time or full-time), and the needs of the CLP (See appendix for an example package.) The COM has established basic guidelines for Commissioned Lay Pastor's compensation. Minimum remuneration for a CLP should be the percent of full time service paid at presbytery's current minimum full time salary.

Nurture and Discipline

The commission shall be valid for a period up to three years as determined by the presbytery. It may be renewed at expiration or terminated at any time at the discretion of the presbytery. Presbytery shall regularly provide resources for the person's spiritual and intellectual development. A review of the work of the commissioned lay pastor shall be conducted annually. Presbytery shall revoke the commission of any lay pastor who does not abide by these provisions or whose work is evaluated as not adequate to meet the needs of the particular congregation or the presbytery. (G-14.0801.b)

The Presbytery may elect to commission a lay pastor for up to three years. Whatever the time period, the commission may be renewed as long as the relationship between the church, the CLP, and the presbytery is satisfactory. Reviews will be conducted annually by the Subcommittee on Commissioned Lay Pastors, and reported to COM; usually in the fall of the year. The church's pastoral relations committee will also conduct annual reviews. Each congregation in which a lay pastor serves must establish a Pastoral Relations Committee whose purpose is to provide to the lay pastor ongoing support and encouragement, and to facilitate communication between the lay pastor and congregation.

For the annual review, the CLP is required to have documentation of at least eight contact hours of continuing education. The presbytery offers these opportunities through the Division of Congregational Ministers and Leadership Division. The CLP will be informed of continuing education events sponsored by the presbytery. S/he may also attend educational events offered at Presbyterian seminaries and conference centers. The Lay Pastor Committee must approve events sponsored by non-Presbyterian in order for them to be included in the eight hours. CLPs are also invited to attend the annual CLP retreat. The annual review will also cover evaluations by the church, the CLP, and members of the presbytery staff. The Subcommittee may request other information that would aid them in evaluating the CLP (i.e. sessional records, sermons).

If at any time during the relationship between a CLP and a local church the session feels that the CLP is not properly or satisfactorily performing his/her duties, the session should first meet with the CLP to discuss its concerns. If this does not prove successful, then the clerk of session should contact the church's COM. Liason.
If the CLP has acted in a manner unsuitable to his/her position, s/he may be terminated or disciplined according to the Rules of Discipline of the Book of Order. If the concern is in the manner of not fulfilling pastoral duties to the satisfaction of the congregation, then the COM may elect to terminate, or instruct the Subcommittee to give the CLP the necessary guidance and training to improve his/her pastoral skills. A church should not terminate a CLP without the approval of COM.

If the CLP is unhappy with the pastoral arrangement, s/he should contact the Subcommittee for guidance. The action of the Subcommittee would depend upon the circumstance and the guidance of COM. If the CLP wishes to terminate his/her relationship, the COM may grant or deny the request, and would counsel the session and the CLP as to their future options. (Refer to Presbytery's policy on discipline.)