A lay leader is a member of the

laity In religious organizations, the laity () consists of all members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-ordained members of religious orders, e.g. a nun or a lay brother. In both religious and wider secular usage, a layperson ...

in any congregation who has been chosen as a leader either by their peers or the leadership of the congregation.Hillel Names Lay Leadership Exemplars of Excellence
/ref> In most denominations, lay leadership is not an

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

al office, and the lay leader's responsibilities vary according to the particular tradition of the congregation. Some organizations do not allow the lay leader to give sacraments for example, but do allow them to perform most other portions of the service that are normally the responsibility of the clergy (e.g. giving sermons when the regular clergy are on vacation).

By denomination

The Assemblies of God official position paper on Ordination states, "When necessary, the laity can perform all of the functions of ministry except those for which the State requires an ordained minister." In

The United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...

the lay leader refers to the principal layperson in a local church, district or

Annual Conference A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main pu ...

who represents and leads the laity in ministry. It is an elected position, and the lay leader will serve on most church committees. Various titles are used for lay leaders in different religious organizations, including

lay preacher Lay preacher is a preacher or a religious proclaimer who is not a formally ordained cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presidi ...

;

lay reader In Anglicanism, a licensed lay minister (LLM) or lay reader (in some jurisdictions simply reader) is a person authorised by a bishop to lead certain services of worship (or parts of the service), to preach and to carry out pastoral and teaching f ...

(in Episcopal churches);

lay speaker A lay speaker is a position in the United Methodist Church for the laity. Technically, a lay speaker is a “member of a local church … who is ready … to serve the Church.” Generally, lay speakers are leaders in the United Methodist Church ...

(in the United Methodist Church, USA);

local preacher A Methodist local preacher, also known as a licensed preacher, is a layperson who has been accredited by the Methodist Church to lead worship and preach on a frequent basis. With separation from the Church of England by the end of the 18th century ...

(in the UK

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

and the Uniting Church in Australia); Reader (in the Anglican Church); and

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

, though this last title can also refer to an ordained ministry. The Unitarian & Free Christian Churches of Great Britain have Accredited Lay Preachers who take services including rites of passage.

Responsibilities

The following list gives examples of things lay leaders may be responsible for: * acting as ushers * acting as

liturgist Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

s * making announcements * reading scripture * offering

sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. El ...

s * conducting a complete service * serving or chairing church committees * congregational advocate and liaison

References

{{reflist Local Christian church officials Religious leadership roles