“Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return.”  
-Luke 6:38   CEB

Participants gathered for a Lay Academy training was held at Rapid City Open Heart UMC.

John Wesley’s heart likely would have been strangely warmed this past week in the Dakotas. At a time when all denominations are struggling to find full-time pastors, lay ministry is growing in the Dakotas Conference. Lay ministers are feeling that tug to share the gift of their faith through all types of ministry. 

This was evident in the Lay Academy, held recently at Open Heart United Methodist Church in Rapid City, South Dakota. Six participants attended, learning basic knowledge and practical guidance for leading the spoken parts of worship including the sermon.  

Organized by Rev. Michele Slott of Open Heart UMC in Rapid City and presented together with retired pastors, Rev. Doug Diehl and Rev. Bob Ruedebusch, the three-day event covered many topics that can be crucial to the success of a lay minister as they explore and practice their calling. 

Five years ago, Bob Ruedebusch was a district superintendent looking for a way to raise up laity for pulpit supple in his district’s churches. Through collaboration with Pastors Michele and Doug and with the support of a rural ministry grant, they formed a teaching cohort and began the Lay Academy to build on the strengths of laity who were exploring their calling, or simply wanted to improve their preaching skills.  

Rev. Slott shared, “I did a little research and leaned into some things that I know– books that I've used in seminary or in licensing school and also the Upper Room– what they do for their Certified Lay Ministry training, and we put it together.”  

Retired pastors, Doug Diehl and Bob Ruedebusch, were two of the instructors at the Lay Academy Training.

She said this was the largest class they’d had to date, but that each year the sessions are tailored to the attendees and their needs. “[The sessions] all end up being different just because we respond to who is in the room with us and how much experience they have, trying to make the program work for them,” explained Michele. “That’s one of the great things that works the best.” 

In a casual, intimate setting, the attendees from around the conference began Friday afternoon by introducing themselves to each other. Some travelled hundreds of miles, some came across town. All shared a different calling to lay ministry. 

Rev. Slott began the teaching with a section on worship and worship planning. Rev. Diehl followed with an introduction to preaching entitled “From Pew to Pulpit”, including group discussion. The evening session focused on scriptural perspectives and sharing their call. 

Rev. Diehl emphasized the importance of good training in a time with such diverging theologies, when it can be difficult to cut through the noise. “So many people spend so much time on social media. I'll listen to preachers who might be bad examples in the way they use the Bible or the way they present themselves,” explained Diehl. 

On Saturday morning, Rev. Bob Ruedebusch led the laity in sermon construction and writing. He and Rev. Diehl have decades of preaching experience and have learned what works, what doesn’t work, and how to effectively communicate their faith through their messages. 

Into the afternoon, each participant was mentored through the writing and refining of their messages, which most would deliver to a local congregation the following morning.  

Participants came to the Lay Academy from four different churches, but each had their own called story.  

Julie Jahrig and Lennie Symes were two of the participants learning about preaching and leading worship.

“I have been thinking about it for years,” shared Julie Jahrig, a participant from Canyon Lake UMC in Rapid City. “Lay people and getting lay speakers is always something that's very dear to me, and Richard Wahlstrom always said, ‘You need to.’ I said ‘Someday, someday,’ and finally I just said, "Nope, not someday. Let's do it now!" 

Margo Clocksin of Rapid Valley UMC came to lay ministry by an unusual path. She was raised in the Catholic Church, and through her marriage became a United Methodist.  “[Pastor Quaya Ackerman] asked me to fill the lay leadership position about two years ago,” she recalled. “I saw the need and it was kind of like, ‘Okay. Where can I step in?’” 

Laura Laible from Beach UMC in Howard, SD, said, “the people in my path have been working on me – have been watering me, basically – and so my interest has grown, and when I stepped into that for Pastor Diana, it just was another growth point.” 

As stories through the years reveal, there are so many called stories in the United Methodist Church and no two are identical. Yet many people still ask the question, “If there is no exact cookie-cutter method of being called to lay ministry, how do we know if we, or someone we see, are being called? What do we say?” Rev. Ruedebusch offered so suggestions for encouraging someone to explore lay preaching and worship leadership. 

“I would try saying something to the fact of ‘You know, I sense you have gifts in the area of leading a worship service. I've seen you in our church get up and read scripture,’ or ‘You know, you've done something else in a worship service, and I think if you have gifts and abilities.’” He also suggested applying that same encouragement to the areas of congregational care or discipleship because of the lay ministry training in those areas as well. 

“If somebody is interested in getting training on becoming a lay speaker, they should talk to their district superintendent,” said Pastor Michele. 

Stephanie Lefdal and Laura Laible traveled from Beach UMC in Howard, S.D, to attend the Lay Academy Training in Rapid City.

The Lay Academy participants put their learning into practice by preaching at churches in the Rapid City area – Open Heart, Prairie View, Wasta, Wall, and later at Rapid City First and Rapid Valley UMC.  

Rev. Slott does the bulk of the organizing for these academies, and shared, “Sometimes it's been difficult to get pulpits for everybody. This time we were able to get [all six students] a pulpit.” 

Although the next Lay Academy has not yet been planned or scheduled, every district could be hosting its own academy and raising up lay ministers, which was an original dream of Rev. Ruedebusch.  

“When I was a district superintendent I felt like we needed to lay training for preachers for local laity,” shared Ruedebusch. In many cases if we could raise somebody up in the local community, we would raise up people who could fill in at church as well,” said Bob. 

If you know someone who has a gift– a potential– to preach, to provide pastoral care, or to provide any type of ministry, speak to them directly and encourage them to pray about it, to consider it seriously, and to contact their conference (district) superintendent, found on the Conference webpage.

Additional reading about lay ministry in The United Methodist Church:

https://www.umc.org/en/content/rediscover-wesleys-vision-of-a-lay-led-church

https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-how-did-john-wesley-empower-lay-people