North American Division receives lay-minister credential proposal but does not adopt it
NAD News reports that Annual Council delegates received a proposal to standardize training for volunteer lay pastors, and that current policy is unchanged.
On Nov. 3, 2026, NAD News reported that NAD consultant Leslie Pollard presented a proposed Lay Minister Credential to the North American Division's Annual Council in Columbia, Maryland, on Nov. 2. The proposal would set consistent training, continuing-education and responsibility standards for church members serving as volunteer lay ministers. According to the report, Pollard said 473 lay pastors serve across 59 conferences under varying requirements. The report also says NAD President G. Alexander Bryant estimated that about 2,000 pastors could become eligible for retirement within several years. Delegates voted to receive the report but did not approve the credential for implementation, and existing lay-pastor policy remains unchanged.
Sources (1)
- NAD News (Angelica Sanchez), "North American Division Annual Council Examines Urban Mission, Lay Pastor Training and New Outreach Initiatives," Nov. 3, 2026. Source (Official; supports the proposal, the vote to receive it rather than adopt it, and the attributed figures.)
Source categories describe type only, not reliability. About our source categories.
The division's report confirms how the vote went, but the 473 and 2,000 figures are church leaders' own estimates that no one else has confirmed.
What would firm this up: The published proposal, an official vote record, or outside figures on how many pastors can retire.
Language of sources: English
Cite this
North American Division receives lay-minister credential proposal but does not adopt it. Puls Strom, Nov 6, 2026. https://pulsstrom.com/c/dc6a7d
Spotted an error? Report it. Substantive corrections are noted at the top of the piece and listed on the corrections page.
Was this clear and helpful?
Thank you. Your feedback helps us fix and improve our articles.
Comments (0)
No comments yet.
Thank you. Your comment will appear shortly after review.
Read next
Adventist leaders in Europe vote AI ethics principles and a crisis plan, division reports
EUD News reports that the Inter-European Division's Annual Council voted AI guidelines that it describes as guidance rather than church policy.
RuthCirculating Now
GC's 2027 budget presentation keeps North America at 3 percent as other divisions move to 2.7 percent
The 2026 Treasury report describes the next step in tithe sharing, while older training material shows why comparisons must distinguish the base rate from a separate North American contribution.
EliInstitutions