Short Courses

Aim

These short courses are designed to fulfil the academic requirements of the Lay Preachers Certificate, and to complement additional preaching requirements within the local Presbytery and church.

Focus

If you would like to become a Lay Preacher in the Uniting Church, you will need to candidate through your local congregation and Presbytery. Lay Preacher candidates then participate in a program of prescribed academic studies and supervised ministry under the guidance and oversight of their Presbytery.

Once you have been accepted as a Lay Preacher candidate, the process forward may look something like this:

  1. Completion of Trinity College Queensland’s Short Course Program for Lay Preachers;
  2. Completion of six critically-evaluated sermons and services under the direction of a Presbytery appointed supervisor;
  3. Recommendation for completion by your local congregation’s Church Council;
  4. Successful interview conducted by your Presbytery’s appropriate body;
  5. Vote of Presbytery to accredit person as a Lay Preacher
  6. Service of Commissioning in your local congregation

We offer four short courses required for Lay Preachers: Theology, New Testament, Old Testament and Preaching. These courses may be taken as a five week lecture series, as a weekend intensive, or online. To complete the program, candidates submit one 1500 word assessment item/short course. Upon completion of our Short Course Program for Lay Preachers, Trinity College Queensland will notify your Presbytery.

Learn more about the short courses you can take as a lay preacher below.