Ministry Personnel Leadership

The ministry of Jesus Christ, through The United Church of Canada, compels all of us to accept roles for mission and leadership. Strong lay leadership played an important role in the union movement that resulted in the formation of the United Church. Our most recent statement of faith, A Song of Faith, proclaims the breadth of Christ’s ministry in all of us:

We are each given particular gifts of the Spirit.
For the sake of the world,
God calls all followers of Jesus to Christian ministry.
In the church,
some are called to specific ministries of leadership,
both lay and ordered;
some witness to the good news;
some uphold the art of worship;
some comfort the grieving and guide the wandering;
some build up the community of wisdom;
some stand with the oppressed and work for justice.
To embody God’s love in the world,
the work of the church requires the ministry and discipleship
of all believers.

Our leadership roles vary in scope and in degree. Within the spectrum of leadership roles, the church calls some lay members to assume roles for defined periods of time that are accountable to the wider church beyond their congregation or local ministry. Lay members who accept these presbytery-accountable ministry positions are known as designated lay ministers for the duration of their appointment.

Leadership roles may include the work of preaching, worship, sacrament, pastoral care, education, or other forms of service. When lay members of the church complete the prescribed training program, or its equivalent, they may be recognized by their presbytery/district as eligible to serve as designated lay ministers without further training or certification. The church honours the level of skill, work, and commitment of designated lay ministers by including them as ministry personnel and ensuring a minimum standard of financial support.

• The Designated Lay Ministry Diploma Program is offered through Calling Lakes Centre.
• Current policy and procedures related to designated lay ministers are contained in Designated Lay Ministers Policy and Procedures (September 2010). [PDF: 18 pp/261 KB]
• Read a short background paper [PDF: 2 pp/21 KB] on the development of designated lay ministry in the United Church.

For more information, please contact the Human Resources Unit