New Academic Partnership for the Lay Ministry Academy
After months of research and prayerful discernment, the Lay Ministry Academy is starting a new partnership with Luther Seminary’s Faith + Lead for the LMA Part 1 requirements. This is a decision that was made together with North Carolina leaders with balancing priorities of relationships, formation, and sustainability. The collaboration with North Carolina Advanced Lay Ministry program is staying the same.
The incoming 2027 LMA Part 1 cohort will receive most of their formation from Faith + Lead’s School of Lay Ministry with strong connections to the VA/NC cohort and with additional in person relationship based retreats along the way. They will also do worship and preaching practice and training in person or hybrid with VA/NC instructors. The process will take 18 months and will still include the interview and essay components. In many ways, this process will parallel the process for candidates for rostered ministers where the synod primarily holds discernment and the seminary primarily holds learning.
One of the major benefits of this path will be the capacity for the LMA Team to plan and support our serving CLM with lay ministry retreats (like Baptized for Life), continuing education learning intensives, Zoom continuing education, and direct contact.
New Commissioned Lay Ministers
There are six new David Broyles, Bill Luders, Wendy Miller, Karen Nguyen, Diane Strait, and Russell Strait. Commissioned lay ministers are available for pulpit supply to
lead services without communion. You can view the pulpit supply list of rostered and commissioned lay ministers and other sermon resources here. These six join a group of over forty commissioned lay ministers that are serving faithfully in their communities, congregations, and in synod ministries in a variety of capacities including: lay preachers, synod council members, music leaders, and synod authorized ministers.
Photo (left to right): Pastor Alex Zuber (LMA Team), Pastor Kristen Van Stee (LMA Team), Diane Strait, David Broyles, Wendy Miller, Bill Luders, Russell Straight, Bishop Phyllis Milton, Pastor Chris Flohr (LMA Team), Marty Holiday (SAM, LMA Team), Pastor Colleen Hetrick (LMA Team).
Applications Open for the 2027 LMA Cohort!
The applications for the next Lay Ministry Cohort are now open. Applications and all supporting materials, including the $50 application fee, are due on September 20. Questions can be sent to Pastor Colleen Hetrick at hetrick@vasynod.org.
The congregation recommendation form requires signatures from: 1) the called pastor/deacon or appointed synod authorized and 2) the council president.
