Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. – 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
God calls all faithful people into ministry and community with one another as the Body of Christ. God also equips all people for these ministries – with that famous variety of gifts, so that we have poets and activists, teachers and engineers, parents and bankers.
Licensed lay ministries are one way that the Episcopal Church lives into the dream of God, where all the saints are called and equipped for ministry, service and love. Those with gifts for compassion might be called to take part in a visiting ministry. Someone with gifts of speaking and teaching may want to explore becoming a lay preacher. Listed here are the specifically licensed ministries named in our canons that lay people might engage in the life of a congregation:
Lay pastoral visiting teams are a key component of vital congregations, developing meaningful relationships and building the Body of Christ for those giving and receiving this ministry.
Spiritual Care Visitor training equips participants to be a healing presence to those experiencing the challenges of life. Beginning with an in-person retreat, you will learn the skills needed to serve those around them. Through ongoing group reflection, online learning modules and experiential learning, you will increase your capacity for care as an individual and a congregation.
Thanks to a generous grant and support from the Whitaker Institute, Bishop Anderson House is able to offer registration for the 2024 program at only $75 per person, which includes the required background check.
Learn more about this rich program on the Bishop Anderson House website or download and share the flyer below with your congregation.
Ready to enroll? Register online now:
Spiritual Care Visitor Training Application
Have you completed the training for a licensed ministry? Apply for your certificate using this form:
Are you already a licensed lay minister looking to renew? Please complete the renewal form and return it to the Rev. Susie Shaefer at sshaefer@edomi.org:
A Eucharistic Minister is a lay person authorized to administer the Consecrated Elements at a Celebration of Holy Eucharist. A Eucharistic Minister should normally act under the direction of a Deacon, if any, or otherwise, the Member of the Clergy or other leader exercising oversight of the congregation or other community of faith.
A Eucharistic Visitor is a lay person authorized to take the Consecrated Elements in a timely manner following a Celebration of Holy Eucharist to members of the congregation who, by reason of illness or infirmity, were unable to be present at the Celebration. A Eucharistic Visitor should normally act under the direction of a Deacon, if any, or otherwise, the Member of the Clergy or other leader exercising oversight of the congregation or other community of faith.
Eucharistic Ministers and Visitors are generally trained in their local worshipping community, typically by a deacon or other clergy person in leadership. Deaneries may also wish to hold a training session, especially if there are a number of congregations without clergy in the area.
Whitaker Training for Eucharistic Visitors is typically offered in the fall. Please reach out if you are interested in a training for your congregation.
Printed Resources for Congregational Use
These downloadable training guides and outlines are available as samples and suggestions for congregational use:
Online Video Resources for Congregational Use
The Whitaker Online School with ChurchNext offers video courses for free that can be used in training, including:
Members of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan can access these ChurchNext courses at no cost by signing up through our Whitaker Online School.
Upon completion of training, please fill out the licensing application form by clicking the button below.
A Worship Leader is a lay person who regularly leads public worship under the direction of the Member of the Clergy or other leader exercising oversight of the congregation or other community of faith.
The Worship Leader class prepares you and encourages your heart to design, craft and lead with confidence the non-Eucharistic services of worship, particularly Morning Prayer. Part of your course experience is to lead worship during the time between class sessions, offering an experience with which you can learn and share with your classmates.
A Preacher is a lay person authorized to preach. Persons so authorized shall only preach in congregations under the direction of the Member of the Clergy or other leader exercising oversight of the congregation or other community of faith.
Lay preachers are raised up from within a congregation, and are typically trained in diocesan class which includes workshop time for students to practice delivering sermons and receive feedback. Lay preachers must have some experience in Scripture study and biblical interpretation, such as EFM, regular attendance at Bible Study, or coursework like the Anglican Bible class through CALL at CDSP.
Lay Preaching Training:
Clergy who would like to train members of their own congregation for licensed ministry as worship leaders or preachers should reach out to the Rev. Susie Shaefer, sshaefer@edomi.org directly.
All people seeking licensing for these ministries must be up-to-date on their Safe Church, Safe Communities training prior to applying for a license. Safe Church, Safe Communities training is fully online, and more information can be found on our Safe Church, Safe Communities page.
Other licensed ministries include Evangelist, Catechist, Pastoral Leader and Lay Chaplains. If you are interested in pursuing any of these roles, please reach out to The Rev. Susie Shaefer, sshaefer@edomi.org to learn more.
