Committee on Lay Leadership: Overview

Introduction

The charge conference elects members for the committee on lay leadership (formerly nominations and personnel). It is a committee or team that serves throughout the year to guide the church council or alternative structure on matters regarding the lay leadership (other than employed staff) of the congregation to:

engage in growth and development as disciples of Jesus Christ
focus on mission and ministry as service
guide the development and training of Christian spiritual leaders
recruit, nurture, and support persons in their elected roles
assist the church council (or alternative structure) in assessing changing leadership needs.

—From Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation: Leader Selection and Development, 2005-2008 (Cokesbury, 2004), pp. 6.

Primary Tasks and Responsibilities of the Committee

The major responsibilities of this committee are to:

get to know members of the congregation and identify (and help them to discern) their skills, gifts, knowledge, and level of commitment
identify leadership and service opportunities in your congregation the
prepare job descriptions for leadership positions
match potential leaders with leadership positions and invite persons to serve in those positions, making sure that these persons represent the makeup of your congregation
present recommendations to the charge conference
equip leaders through training and support

—Adapted from Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation: Leader Selection and Development, 2005-2008 (Cokesbury, 2004), pp. 6; and Job Descriptions & Leadership Training for Leaders in Local Church Congregations, 2005-2008 (Discipleship Resources, 2004).

Organization and Relationships

The committee has no more than eleven members. No more than nine are elected by the charge conference on recommendation of the committee or by nomination from the floor. In addition, the pastor and lay leader are members. All lay members must be full members of the local church.

Of the nine elected members, one must be a young adult (aged 18-30), and one may be a youth (aged 12-18). The pastor shall be the chairperson. In keeping with the needed gifts of the position, a layperson shall be elected vice-chairperson of the committee and represent the committee on the church council. A member of the committee can be designated as the secretary. The committee is responsible to the church council and to the charge conference. In a charge of more than one church, a separate committee on lay leadership is to be elected for each church. A charge-wide committee may also be elected if desired.

—From Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation: Leader Selection and Development 2005-2008, p. 10. Copyright © 2004 Cokesbury. Used by permission.

Read more from the Book of Discipline

The material above gives only a basic description the purpose and responsibilities of the Lay Leadership committee. The booklet, Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2005-2008: Leader Selection and Development, will provide practical and concrete suggestions and resources for helping you carry out these important ministry responsibilities. For example, you will find a planning overview that will help guide the work of the committee throughout the year. You will also find helpful information about how to become better acquainted with the members of your congregation, and how to identify and record their skills, gifts and interests. Becoming familiar with your members will help the committee identify and match persons with opportunities for service in leadership positions. Once persons have been identified for positions, you will find guidance for how to invite them to serve. Finally, this Guideline will provide practical suggestions and resources for nurturing and empowering leaders in your congregation.