School for the Laity and Commissioned Lay Pastor Training Program

The School for Laity/Commissioned Lay Pastor (SL/CLP) Training is a course of study designed to help you learn and grow in discipleship.

The program offers 150 hours of training and classwork in a two year cycle and begins a new year each September with a kick-off retreat on a Friday evening and Saturday. The purpose of the retreat is to get to know one another, explore faith sharing and development, and to think about ways students can apply their learning and experiences. It is an opportunity to grow as a group committed to greater spiritual growth. Many people take the course for their own personal enrichment or to strengthen their ability to serve the church. The entire program is also designed to meet the units needed to complete the Commissioned Lay Pastor Training.

The SL/CLP training is divided into 10 week quarters (Fall, Winter, & Spring) and usually meets biweekly
at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church or First Presbyterian Church, Morganton. Other courses and topics are offered periodically at other locations in the Presbytery.

Current tuition is $45 each term and includes the costs for textbooks. Students are occasionally encouraged to purchase other texts. Presbytery of WNC encourages all who desire this training to attend, and the Presbytery provides some scholarship funds for those students needing financial assistance for tuition.

Please print the Schedule and Enrollment Forms from the Presbytery website (www.presbyterywnc.org), and have your church session complete the Endorsement Form. All forms, registration, enrollment and session endorsement, should be returned to the Presbytery Office.

The SL/CLP Task Force is excited about this opportunity and the opportunity for you to be a part of this dynamic program.

To register, or for more information contact:

Ed McFadden, Dean of SL/CLP Program
(h) 828/874-1524 or (cell) 828-443-4447 ~ jedmcf3@embarqmail.com
or
Robbin Buchanan, Administrative Assistant Presbytery Office, 828/438-4217 ~ rbuchanan@presbyterywnc.org

1. Do I have to attend the Fall Retreat to enter the program?
All students are encouraged to attend the Fall Retreat, but it is NOT a requirement to attend in order to enter the program.

2. Must I begin the program in the Fall Quarter?
SL/CLP courses have been designed sequentially, but students may take courses whenever they chose and may enter the SL/CLP in any quarter.

3. What happens if I miss a quarter?
Classes are offered in a two-year rotation and my be taken at a later time.

4. Do I have to be an elder to attend the SL?
No, all interested church members may attend the SL/CLP. However, in order to serve as a Commissioned Lay Pastor, one must be an elder in the Presbyterian Church.

5. Do I have to serve as a Lay Pastor after completing the SL/CLP Program?
No, the SL/CLP Program is designed to train lay leaders for service in their own churches or in other leadership positions in the denomination. Some graduates (elders) are called to serve as CLP’s.

List of Courses