Online Certified Lay Minister Course: History, Polity, and Doctrine of the GMC
February 21 @ 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
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February 21 @ 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
FREE
Join us for this online certified lay ministry course, History, Polity, and Doctrine of the GMC, which will cover, at a survey level, the history of the Methodist movement from John Wesley to the present, as well as the polity (governance structure) and basic doctrine of the Global Methodist Church.
It is the objective of this course that the student will:
- Develop a basic understanding of these three areas of study (history and polity of the Methodist movement, and basic doctrine of the GMC).
- Demonstrate the ability to effectively apply knowledge of the polity of the GMC in the local congregation in the assistance of ordering its ministry.
- Demonstrate the ability to explain essential doctrines of the GMC.
- Develop the knowledge of how to effectively pursue continued inquiry and self-study related to each of these important areas of the life of the church.
Online Course: This online course will take part in two sessions, Feb. 21 and Feb. 28, 12PM – 4PM EST/9AM – 1PM PST. Attendance to both sessions is required.
CLM Course Credits: The Certified Lay Minister status is a lay status given to individuals who feel the calling to serve in the local church and beyond, though not in a clergy status. The History, Polity, and Doctrine of the GMC course will be considered a “Foundational” course for the Certified Lay Minister certification. You can learn more about the Certified Lay Minister program here.
Instructor: Rev. Daniel Fulton
Required Texts: The required course text will be “Doctrine, Spirit, and Discipline” by Kevin Watson, Zondervan Academic 2024. Students will also need to have access to the texts of the GMC Doctrine and Discipline, as well as the Catechism, the free online pdf versions of both are perfectly suitable.
Coursework: Reflection Paper Assignment: Students will write a reflection of their reading of Dr. Watson’s text which will include a brief synopsis of the text, and draw attention to things they learned, as well as how they might apply what they have learned in service as a CLM. The paper will be 1.5 to 3 pages in length (double spaced, standard font), and be emailed to the instructor at dfulton@midsouthgmc.org . Due Date: February 20, 2026.
Registration: This course has a $10 enrollment fee and open to participants from the MidSouth Annual Conference and the Western States Annual Conference. When registering, please indicate which annual conference you are affiliated so that your course completion can be communicated to the appropriate conference.