Presbytery of East Iowa

Commissioned lay Pastor Program

It's a proven fact that every iceberg shows only a small portion of itself above the surface of the ocean. Much deeper and wider than the eye first perceives, the full mass of frozen water remains unnoticed until the day someone decides to explore its hidden wonders.

In similar fashion, we could say that the pool of potential church leaders is far broader than we may initially realize. Men and women of faith all across the denomination have talents, skills and experiences to enhance the ministry of the Church. All we have to do is look.

Of course, if this is true, we may be led to ask two important questions: 1) If a wealth of leadership does exist in the PCUSA, why are there so many churches without pastors? and 2) Where do we look for these leaders?

Despite common misconceptions, the number of available ministers currently exceeds the number of vacant pulpits. The problem is that many of these ministers are either tethered to a specific geographic region e.g. he/she may not be able to move or commute very far because of a spouse's employment or he/she is not able to afford serving a small church, especially if significant debt exists for college and seminary education.

According to The Presbyterian Outlook of February 16, 2004:

"A Duke Divinity School report on the clergy serving America's churches shows that there is a shortage of pastors willing to lead small congregations. Patricia M.Y. Chang found in her study that there is not an overall clergy shortage but rather a 'problem of balance' between available clergy and pastoral vacancies. 'The number of small congregations that cannot afford a full-time or fully ordained pastor is increasing and the number of ordained pastors willing to serve in small congregations is decreasing,' she said in the report titled, Assessing the Clergy Supply in the 21st Century. Chang, the assistant director of Boston College's Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, said the problem seems to be widespread and increasingly acute among denominations that have declining memberships. Churches without full-time clergy are relying instead on lay pastors, part-time clergy and pastors who are supported by either a partner's income or retirement benefits from previous careers. Congregations in rural areas and those with growing ethnic populations are also facing challenges in filling their pulpits."

But the good news is that the answer to finding and acquiring additional pastoral leadership may be staring us in the face--literally. All we need to do is take a careful look at those persons in our congregations who show promise of or who express an interest in ministry. Some of them may be interested in pursuing seminary and eventual ordination as Ministers of Word and Sacrament. Others, however, could be prime candidates for becoming Commissioned Lay Pastors.

A Commissioned Lay Pastor (CLP) in the PCUSA is an elder who follows a pastoral calling from the risen Christ, but it is a special calling distinct from that of an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament. Simply put, a CLP does not necessarily regard pastoral ministry as a profession, but as something that engages his/her responsibilities as an elder on a fuller and deeper level. As one recent candidate put it, "I'm not interested in being a full-time minister. I just want to be a better resource for my church and for the presbytery."

Persons who are interested in CLP training must be elders, though they need not be serving currently on session. After they have filled out their applications and secured their letters of recommendation, the Dean schedules an interview with the CLP committee. If the committee approves, CLP training commences to cover the following areas: Bible, Christian Education, Reformed Theology and Sacraments, Pastoral Care, Polity, Worship Development and Leadership, Preaching. Applications are accepted throughout the year, but admission is generally reserved for dates in winter and summer that coincide with class schedules.

It should be noted that no guarantee is made that completion of training will culminate in a commission, immediate or otherwise. However, those who have participated in the program thus far concurred that the experience has not only enriched them spiritually and intellectually, but also empowered them to be more effective as elders in their home churches. Another person had this to say, "I'd describe my time with the program almost as if I were sitting with Jesus, listening to him teach, helping me to understand things about my faith. And when I meet my teachers and fellow students in class or on a retreat, I sense the real presence of the Holy Spirit with us. For me, it's that powerful."

Application Forms

| Back to Top |