On Saturday, August 2, 2025, ninety people gathered at Eastern University to take part in the 2025 Laity Academy. They came to gather in community, to grow, and to continue building on the foundation of excellent lay training laid forth by the 40 years of Laity Academies that came before.

This year’s academy continued that proud tradition of solid education and resourcing while celebrating remarkable firsts. Judy Ehninger shared that this year welcomed the youngest cohort of students in the BASIC class Christ Servant Ministers ever. Eighteen people gathered for the Basic Christ Servant Minister class, led by Judy Ehninger and Sheri Kentner, in the sunlit third-floor lounge of Warner Library. As they engaged with the course materials, part of their conversation centered on the topic of calling.

“There are lots of ways to be called,” Sheri Kentner proclaimed.  “At one point in my life, God kept hitting me on the back with a rock until I finally agreed to do what He wanted me to do.”

Calling is nuanced and often complicated. Following Kentner’s instruction, the students broke into small groups to consider different biblical call stories and how those stories might shape their understanding of their own callings.

One group considered Sarah’s call in Genesis 18:1–15. “Her call was to have a child,” shared one participant. “And also to believe,” reflected another, “to believe in a miracle.” Another group member noted, “Her call was sudden—unexpected, even.”

Another group gathered around the call of Amos in Amos 7:7–17.“Amos is called to prophesy,” they noted.

Nearby, in McInnis Hall, lay leaders gathered in more specialized classes. More than 70 students expanded their ministry toolkits in sessions ranging from practical to spiritual and everywhere in between. Barbara Drake led a class on Vital Ministries of Mercy and Justice. Rev. Harold Burkett, Kellie Durling, and Mary White taught Speaking 1: Preaching to Be Heard. John Lafferty, CLM, taught Local Church Leadership Skills and Development, and Alyssa Ruch taught Community Engagement.

Prayer for Our Times, taught by Rev. Monica Guepet of Stroudsburg UMC, was designed to equip people to be public prayers. It included both instruction and hands-on practice. Every student left the class with a few written prayers—ready to lead their congregation and engage their community.

One of the most meaningful moments was the opportunity to practice praying aloud over real-time situations. Students wrote prayer requests on slips of paper, then each pulled one from a hat and prayed aloud, gaining experience and confidence.

It was just the kind of experience Reina Briggs from Janes Memorial UMC was looking for.

“I want to become more comfortable praying publicly. I’m moving forward in my spiritual journey. I just became a worship leader, I’m a CSM (Christ Servant Minister), and I’m working on my bachelor’s degree in ministry leadership.”

Down the hall, students learned how to apply change management theory to their local church context with Rev. David Piltz in his class Navigating Change in Chaos: A Biblical Approach. Part of the discussion involved strategizing ways to reduce resistance to change.

“You can’t change what has happened, but you can take charge of it,” shared Lenora Thompson.
Joe Skarbowski reflected, “Change is personal. You have to involve people in the change—those who are going to be affected—so you can decrease resistance.”

In the afternoon, you could hear the sound of singing from Rev. Mark Salvacion’s class Methodist Theology Through the Lens of the Wesleys’ Sermons & Hymns. As the class sang Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Rev. Salvacion invited them to listen for echoes of Wesley’s theology of the new birth.

Margie Krut and Celeste Schiller taught Finishing Strong, a class that wrestled with the reality of aging and the challenges of being a full-time caregiver.

Lorelei Toombs, Director of Lay Leadership Development for EPA, shared:

“I was struck by the diversity and pragmatic nature of the classes being offered. The Finishing Strong class really helps us understand how to embrace the end of life with dignity and creates space for us to actually talk about it. There was a good mix of core curriculum and specialized learning.”

For lay leaders who return year after year, the community is as much of a draw as the curriculum. Ann Tinner, Lay Leader at Pocono Lake UMC, emphasized the value of learning alongside others: “The community is really important. There are so many different people you can meet and talk to. Even in class, there’s a lot you can learn from the comments people make.”

Dennis Booher of Pottsville First UMC echoed her sentiment. He loves reconnecting with other servant leaders across the conference as he continues to build on a solid foundation of learning. This year, he took Rev. Piltz’s class on chaos. When asked what he plans to put into practice at his local church, he noted an insight that he gleaned from the class on change and chaos, “Chaos is not only personal—it’s collective.”

Truly, there was something for everyone at the August 2025 session of the Laity Academy. Many thanks to Brenda Binns and the academy team for their excellent leadership.

If you happened to miss this wonderful event, don’t fret—there are more opportunities to connect. The fall in-person session will be held at Clarks Grove in the North District on September 13, where students can learn the ins and outs of Disciple-Making Small Groups and the online course, Healing Communities, meets September 8, 10, 15, and 17.

You can register for Healing Communities here.

Registration for the fall in-person session will open soon.

In the meantime, mark your calendar and save the date for the next round of in-person classes on April 26, 2026, at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Lebanon, and Cedarville UMC.