American Baptist Churches of Vermont and New Hampshire
Certified Lay Ministers Program
Vows of Certification
Leader: Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are setting apart this time to publicly acknowledge the call of ____________________ to ministry as a Certified Lay Minister and to give him/her such authorization as is required to perform his/her ministry as a representative of Christ and the American Baptist Churches of Vermont and New Hampshire.
He/She has completed the requirements for certification established by the Lay Ministers Governing Board, has been approved by that Board, and now presents himself/herself to be formally recognized as a Certified Lay Minister.
Leader: _______________ is it your firm conviction that you have been called by God to serve Christ as a Certified Lay Minister?
Candidate: It is.
Leader: Do you acknowledge your responsibility for being the church in the world by bearing witness to the Gospel of Christ in your daily responsibilities?
Candidate: I do.
Leader: And do you promise to perform to the best of your ability any specialized ministries in which you may be involved either now or in the future as a result of your training?
Candidate: I do.
Executive Minister: Do you ascribe to, and will you support the Code of Ethics for professional church leaders of the Ministers Council of the American Baptist Churches USA? If so, will you repeat after me:
I ________________ will abide by the Code of Ethics of the Ministers Council of the American Baptist Churches USA and I will faithfully support its purposes and ideals. I covenant with my colleagues in ministry to hold each other accountable for fulfillment of all public actions set forth in the Code of Ethics.
Executive Minister: Since ___________________ has satisfactorily completed the requirements for certification, and since he/she has now publicly confirmed his/her call and commitment to exercise his/her gifts in the ministry of the church; I therefore declare that he/she is a duly certified Lay Minister in the American Baptist Churches of Vermont and New Hampshire.
Prayer of Certification