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Competencies for a Local Lay-Pastor

Competencies for a Local Lay-Pastor

The 2017 Conference accepted a series of competencies for different elements of ministry. These were reviewed in 2024 to reflect the impact of various Conference decisions and the priorities of the Church in recent years, notably the Strategy for Justice, Dignity and Solidarity, Changing Patterns of Ministry and the Review of Candidating, and recommended changes to the Council. The Ministries Team also checked that safeguarding was appropriately included. Further consultations have also been held with The Queen’s Foundation and the Methodist Diaconal Order. The competencies have been adapted as a result.

For Local Lay-Pastors there are competencies for each of three stages of their formation and development: early, core and further development.

Local Lay-Pastor early competencies

1. Vocation (call and commitment)
  1. The ability to articulate a sense of God’s call to pastoral ministry in the local context.
  2. The ability to articulate experiences where they have demonstrated pastoral ministry.
  3. The recognition from others that they have the gifts for pastoral ministry.
2. Vocation (ministry in the Methodist Church in Britain)
  1. Be a member of good standing in the Methodist Church.
  2. A worshipping presence in the Christian community.
3. Relationship with God
  1. A trusting relationship with God that is marked by humility, reverence, awe and wonder.
  2. A prayerful disciple.
  3. A good knowledge of the Bible and the ability to relate this to daily living.
  4. Committed to walking daily with God, accepting that at times this may be challenging and that on occasions there may be doubt.
4. Personality and character
  1. Honesty and integrity in living as a disciple of Christ with appropriate self-confidence and humility.
  2. A reflective practitioner who is aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and their potential for self-development.
  3. Compliance with the Methodist Church’s safeguarding requirements, including DBS checks demonstrating that there is nothing that prevents them from being a Local Lay-Pastor.
  4. The ability to identify and maintain appropriate boundaries in professional and personal relationships.
5. Being in relationship with others
  1. A love for and a call to serve and care for the wider local community and those who are part of the church community.
  2. Recognition of and the ability to articulate the fundamental equality of all people before God and the ability to see God in others.
  3. The capacity to develop and maintain open and healthy personal, professional and pastoral relationships.
  4. The ability to work with diversity inside and outside the Church, having respect for all people with their gifts and diversities.
6. The Church’s ministry in God’s world
  1. An understanding of Our Calling and how it relates to ministry in their local context.
  2. The ability to see, and to draw the attention of others to, God at work in the world.
7. Leadership and collaboration
  1. The ability to pray with and for others, leading prayers that are appropriate and sensitive to the context.
  2. An openness to developing their ability as someone who can lead God’s people in aspects of worship.
  3. The ability to work collaboratively and as part of a team in ministry, knowing when to work alone and when to seek support.
  4. An understanding of what it means to be seen by others as a leader in their local context.
  5. A willingness to be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances.
8. Learning and understanding
  1. Enthusiasm for lifelong learning and formation.
  2. Growth in their own discipleship and a commitment to personal study of Scripture and faith learning.
  3. Demonstrates an awareness of contemporary world events and, whilst has some understanding, can articulate a Christian response.
  4. A good understanding of pastoral ministry.
  5. A commitment to ongoing and appropriate training in safeguarding.
9. Communication
  1. The ability to express faith naturally and authentically in ways that are appropriate, accessible and sensitive to the situation, using biblical and theological understanding.
  2. The ability to engage in one-to-one conversations that are meaningful, appropriate and supportive.
  3. An active listener who seeks to understand and communicates effectively within their context, knowing when to speak and when to listen.
  4. The ability to use language appropriately and carefully.
  5. Approachable and humble enough to be appropriately challenged.

Local Lay-Pastor core competencies

1. Vocation (call and commitment)
  1. Confirmation by others in the ministry context that they have the gifts for this ministry.
  2. Demonstrates a clear commitment to the outworking of their calling in the role of a Local Lay-Pastor.
2. Vocation (ministry in the Methodist Church in Britain)
  1. An understanding of ministry lay and ordained within the Methodist Church in Britain and their place within this ministry.
  2. The ability to articulate a basic working understanding of local circuit and district structures and what it means to be part of a Connexional Church.
3. Relationship with God
  1. A secure foundation in faith, but an openness to transformation as they develop new understandings of ministry and their calling.
  2. A good understanding of the basics of the Christian faith from a Methodist perspective.
  3. A prayerful leader.
  4. An openness to listening to God’s Spirit along with the whole community.
4. Personality and character
  1. Good self-awareness and the ability to use strategies for resilience and well-being and to exercise appropriate care of self, through developing sustainable patterns of life and work, and through effective support networks, modelling this for others.
  2. The ability to operate under supervision and accept guidance from others, including being managed and led.
5. Being in relationship with others
  1. The ability to relate to a variety of people and to empathise and challenge appropriately in a range of situations and contexts.
  2. An understanding of how power affects relationships and how to use it appropriately.
  3. An understanding of the communities in which they are serving.
  4. An awareness of what it means to live as a public representative of the Methodist Church and Christian faith.
  5. An understanding and the acceptance of the discipline of the Methodist Church and respect for the diversity of views within Methodism.
6. The Church’s ministry in God’s world
  1. A good understanding of ministry in the Methodist Church (particularly reports and statements by the Methodist Church).
  2. Fidelity to the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith and the Methodist doctrinal standards (SO 566 (4ii)).
7. Leadership and collaboration
  1. The ability to participate in the structures of a church and circuit and to regularly reflect on this experience.
  2. A good understanding of the role and status of a Local Lay-Pastor in the life of the circuit.
  3. Takes delight in leading with others, works collaboratively, encourages the inclusion and participation of people of all diversities and seeks to empower others for the good of the whole community.
  4. The ability to enable the church community to participate in the mission of God in their local context.
8. Learning and understanding
  1. The ability to understand their learning and development needs through feedback and conversations with others and a commitment to engaging with meaningful development opportunities.
  2. A strong understanding of pastoral ministry and knowledge of the approaches used in pastoral support of others, and the ability to use these in their own ministry.
  3. An understanding of the power dynamics in pastoral relationships.
  4. A good understanding of Methodist policies and procedures, including safeguarding, GDPR, equality, diversity and inclusion, Positive Working Together, and modelling and upholding good practice in relation to these in their work and context.
  5. Regularly meet with other Local Lay-Pastors in a community of practice endorsed by the Methodist Church.
9. Communication
  1. The ability to work with small groups successfully to facilitate conversation and growth.
  2. The ability to select and use the most appropriate communication media and style for the context.
  3. An ability to engage with the wider community in an accessible and meaningful way.
  4. Effective communication skills for mission and evangelism, including being able to speak appropriately about God in a range of settings.
  5. The ability to articulate a good understanding of the role and status of a Local Lay-Pastor in the life of the circuit.

Local Lay-Pastor further development competencies

1. Vocation (call and commitment)
  1. Working with others to further develop a sense of vocational calling.
2. Vocation (ministry in the Methodist Church in Britain)
  1. A thorough understanding of the structures of the Methodist Church in Britain and how connexional networks support and enable local ministry.
3. Relationship with God
  1. A good understanding of the Christian faith from a range of traditions and Methodism’s place within the wider Church.
  2. Able to articulate personal growth in faith through theological reflection in their ministry context.
4. Personality and character
  1. The ability to use vulnerability appropriately to enable others to see God’s presence in all aspects of human life.
5. Being in relationship with others
  1. The ability to appropriately challenge injustice and support marginalised communities.
  2. The ability to engage with conflict appropriately.
6. The Church’s ministry in God’s world
  1. The ability to think in imaginative and creative ways when engaging with God’s world through the Church’s ministry.
  2. The ability to recognise and develop new opportunities to engage with the local community as part of the Church’s mission.
7. Leadership and collaboration
  1. The ability to focus attention on a particular or specific community of people, as needed by the circuit.
  2. A broad understanding of the nature of leadership and the different ways leadership can be demonstrated, and the knowledge that collaborative leadership empowers the whole community.
8. Learning and understanding
  1. An excellent knowledge and understanding of the local context and has the openness to learn to critique cultural norms.
  2. An appreciation of Methodist theology and a willingness to learn more about relevant topics.
  3. A good understanding of how to enable others to be lifelong learners, and how to model being a learner.
  4. An understanding of how to keep up to date with new initiatives and learning opportunities and the ability to discern how and when to use these.
9. Communication
  1. The ability to speak effectively in various forms and through various media.
  2. Advocating for the communities with whom they are Local Lay-Pastor.

Competencies for a Local Lay-Pastor (Pdf)

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