School for Ministry

Bishop Hughes established the School for Ministry for the Diocese of Newark to better support and help form members of the diocese for their particular ministries. The School for Ministry has been charged by the bishop to develop two primary modes of training: first, to train those preparing for ordination to the Diaconate and, second, to train lay ministers for licensed lay ministries, such as Worship Leader, Preacher, and Pastoral Leader.

Worship Leader

The School for Ministry provides training in how to plan and lead public worship for lay leaders, including Morning Prayer and “Ante-Communion” (the Liturgy of the Word from Holy Eucharist).

Preparing lay ministers to lead worship has become increasingly important for churches with part-time clergy and churches without clergy. In many churches, lay Worship Leaders also provide support for worship during the week, often providing Morning Prayer or Compline online.

Training for this module usually takes place in May (by Zoom) and June (in person); sometimes it is offered in the Fall as well.

2026-2027 year: Training is WED, MAY 20 and SAT, JUN 20. Register by MON, MAY 4, 5 PM.

Preacher

The School for Ministry provides training in preaching for lay leaders. This includes training in how to read and understand scripture for writing a sermon, as well as how to prepare and deliver a sermon.

Whether your church has clergy or has limited or no clergy leadership, this can be a valuable ministry to add more voices to those proclaiming scripture for a congregation. The clergy in charge of the parish (or the wardens where there is no clergyperson) are responsible for inviting any preachers to preach, lay or ordained. Being licensed does not guarantee opportunities to preach in a given parish.

The training meets monthly for 6 sessions (5 on zoom, 1 in person), usually beginning in August and ending in February.

2026-2027 year: Training begins SAT, AUG 22. Register by MON, AUG 3, 5 PM.

Pastoral Leader

The School for Ministry provides training to serve in pastoral leadership in your parish as a lay person. The role of a Pastoral Leader will vary from parish to parish (and depending on whether the parish has clergy or not), but this ministry may include some of the following:

Providing initial or occasional pastoral care
Leading worship or preaching from time to time
Assisting with administrative oversight (ensuring that the service register and the parish register are maintained, for example)
Other roles as needed

This training includes Worship Leader Training and Preacher Training as well as focused training as a Pastoral Leader.

As you consider applying, please note that this program requires a significant commitment of time, energy, and heart. Sessions begin with Worship Leader training in May and June and then continue with Preacher training from August through February. Finally, Pastoral Leader-specific training is from March through May. Sessions are primarily held on Zoom roughly once a month for approximately one year. There are also two all day in-person sessions (replacing the Zoom session for that month) – one for the Worship Leader module and one for the Preacher module.

2026-2027 year: Training begins WED, MAY 13. Register by MON, MAY 4, 5 PM.

Expectations & license requirements

Expectations: Faithful attendance and participation, as well as completion of 8-12 hours of prep work before each session.

License requirements:

Confirmed communicant in good standing in a congregation in the Diocese of Newark.
Training by the School for Ministry.
Completion of required Safe Church, Safe Communities online training.
Application from the clergyperson or warden of the parish.

Meet the Director

In August 2023, Bishop Hughes appointed Dr. Laura E. Moore as the Director of the School for Ministry. Dr. Moore earned a Th.D. in Liturgical Studies from the General Theological Seminary in 2011 and is the author of From Easter to Holy Week: The Paschal Mystery and Liturgical Renewal in the Twentieth Century. She has served as an adjunct instructor at the General Theological Seminary and Drew University and is a member of the North American Academy of Liturgy. She also serves as the Parish Administrator for All Saints Episcopal Parish in Hoboken.