Bishop’s Institute For
Ministry & Leadership

More Information on Licensed Lay Ministry Courses

What is a Licensed Lay Leader (LLM)?

The canons of the Episcopal Church allow the Bishop of a Diocese to license lay persons to specific ministries that they may exercise in their parish under the direction of their priest or in churches or missions that do not have a resident priest.

The Episcopal Church canon that provides the initiative for our Licensed Lay Leader courses is:

Title III: Ministry
Canon 4: Of Licensed Ministries (excerpts)

Sec. 1 (a) A confirmed communicant in good standing or, in extraordinary circumstances, subject to guide- lines established by the Bishop, a communicant in good standing, may be licensed by the Ecclesiastical Authority to serve as Pastoral Leader, Worship Leader, Preacher, Eucharistic Minister, Eucharistic Visitor, Evangelist, or Catechist. Requirements and guidelines for the selection, training, continuing education, and deployment of such persons, and the duration of licenses shall be established by the Bishop in consultation with the Commission on Ministry.

Course offerings

To date some thirty-six lay persons have been Licensed by Bishop Howard to serve as Lay Worship Leaders and Catechists in their parishes under the direction of their priest. They completed a twelve-month course taught on two campuses — in Jacksonville and Hawthorne in preparation for their License.

A twelve-month course is currently in progress to prepare lay men and women to be licensed in Pastoral Care ministry. There are some eighteen candidates from churches across the Diocese currently enrolled.

The Bishop’s Institute is planning to offer the Lay Worship Leader and Catechists courses again in the coming year in addition to the course in Pastoral Care. Courses for lay Evangelist and Preacher are also in the planning stage.

Who are the LLM courses designed for?

The courses are designed for those who feel they are being called to serve their church in a specific ministry and desire to be equipped for that ministry. In some cases the person’s rector or vicar may recognize that person’s gifts and initiate encouraging them in accepting and preparing for it. Others may already be exercising a specific lay ministry and see the course as simply an enhancement of their experience and skills.

Two basic requirements for everyone enrolling in a LLM course are:

• The endorsement by the applicant’s Rector, Vicar or Priest-in-Charge. The endorsing clergy person affirms that the applicant is an adult in good standing in the parish and that he or she endorses the applicant for this ministry.
• A licensed lay minister must complete and comply with the guidelines for the Safeguarding God’s People and Safeguarding God’s children programs.

Further inquiries

If you would like further information about the Bishop’s Institute Licensed Lay Ministry courses and/or you would like to be informed personally of proposed offerings please contact Hannia Reyes at the Diocesan Office: 904-356-1328 or hreyes@diocesefl.org.

 

The vocational Diaconate and local Priesthood in the Diocese of Florida: Academic preparation and formation

Vocational Diaconate

The academic component in the formation of vocational Deacons in the Diocese of Florida is entrusted to the Institute’s Deacons School. The Deacons School is a fourteen-month course that meets once a month on a Saturday at Camp Weed. The modules, taught by tutors drawn from our Diocesan clergy cover spiritual discipline; practical training and experience; the theology of the diaconate; Holy Scriptures; church history; Anglican theology and pastoral care.

Local Priesthood

Those accepted to study for ordination to the local Priesthood in the Diocese are enrolled in the Deacons School and receive the same basic academic formation as those preparing for the vocational Diaconate. On successful completion of the Deacons School, local Priest candidates complete six further modules in the theology and practice of ordained ministry as specifically appropriate to their preparation for the priesthood.

Further information

The academic courses designed for both vocational Deacons and local Priests operate within the overall discernment and formation process for those accepted by the Bishop with the recommendation of the Diocesan Commission on Ministry to prepare for ordination. For details on the overall discernment process for the vocational Diaconate or the local Priesthood in the Diocese please contact the Diocesan Office: 904-356-1328 or email hreyes@diocesefl.org.