Becoming a Licensed Lay Leader
Baptism into the Covenant Community of Jesus Christ is the primary prerequisite for any ministry in the Episcopal Church, and the Book of Common Prayer defines four orders of ministers: lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons. All members are called to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.
While every Christian is called to be a minister, being certified in Lay Ministry may be appropriate for you if:
- You have considered being more involved in missions or ministry, but wanted to get more training or certification.
- You feel called to serve in your community or local church more than you feel called to serve anywhere in the Episcopal Church.
- You feel called to one or more of the specific areas of ministry which the Canons require to be licensed by the bishop.
- You desire to be in relationship with other lay leaders throughout the diocese who are being trained and licensed for these various ministries.
- You’ve discerned that you are not called to ordained ministry as a priest or deacon, but feel called to exercise particular gifts for ministry within the licensing structure in El Camino Real.
The following guidelines and outlines for the training process and courses assure standards and consistency throughout the Diocese and aim to empower members in each congregation to engage in and further the ministry and mission of the Church. Since the work of Jesus is done in community — and the call to a ministry is a call of the Church to individuals asking them to share their gifts — the path to licensed lay ministries normally begins with a relationship with local parish leaders, either clergy or lay.