LEESBURG — Four Haitian, five Korean and eight Hispanic United Methodist lay members and clergy spent three days last month learning how to teach the Lay Speaking Ministries’ Basic Course in their native languages. This is the first time a multi-language Lay Speaking training event has been held within the United Methodist Church, according to Dr. Glenna Brayton, the conference director of Lay Speaking Ministries.

The training event completes more than four years of effort by the Lay Speaking Ministries team to reach out to Haitians, Koreans and Hispanics through the laity-training ministry. It was made possible by a $19,200 grant received in 1999 from the General Board of Discipleship (GBOD). The grant was awarded to the Florida Conference to help it train church leaders who are bilingual in English and Korean, Creole, Spanish or Vietnamese to offer the Lay Speaking training in the various languages to people at the local and district levels, according to Brayton.

Lise Marc was one of three members of Emmanuel Haitian Mission at Orlando’s Broadway United Methodist Church who attended the event. She says she wanted to be prepared to teach the material first in her own congregation and then to other churches. "I want to help our congregation to develop, to bring more people not only to the congregation, but to Christ," she said.

The Rev. Jacques Pierre, a native of Haiti and pastor of Lakeland’s Highlands United Methodist Church, said the weekend was proof that the Florida Conference is serious about ministering in diversity and "not just paying lip service" to the concept.

Pierre attended the event, but also translated the course instructors’ book into Creole. Joseph Ha, a member of the South Florida Korean United Methodist Church, translated the book into Korean and used the event as an opportunity to make edits and adjustments. Both books will be published soon by the GBOD and made available through Cokesbury. The Spanish translation was completed last year and is already available.

The Lay Speaking training prepares lay people to be in ministry through caring, communication and leadership. Although many think it solely equips a person to fill a pulpit, Brayton says it really prepares people to teach, do visitation, lead committees and teams, and more.

Leslie Pares, a member of First United Methodist Church, Brandon, attended the course to help him discern his call from God and prepare to either teach or preach. He said he learned more about his own call, but also God’s call to the church. "I’ve enjoyed the fellowship," he said. "It’s been interesting to see how God is calling all nations to bring the gospel into all nations."

Jong Woo Kim, the lay leader emeritus at the South Florida Korean United Methodist Church, said he has been a United Methodist all his life, but learned some new things about his church. "Some of this was brand new to me, and some affirmed what I already knew," he said.