Universal City UM consecrated as
area’s first certified lay minister

By Claudia M. Williams
Staff Writer
A member of Universal City UMC has become the first certified lay minister in the Southwest Texas Conference.
Bob Buck, 54, was consecrated during worship services at the church Feb. 19.
The 2004 General Conference, the denomina-tion’s highest policy-making assembly, created the position of certified lay minister. The goal was to enhance ministry with small membership congregations and to expand team ministry in larger ones.
Buck said he would be supporting the pastoral team of the 573-member Universal City congregation in many capacities. Those include preaching and worship, outreach to the community, and representing the pastoral team on various church committees.
“The job description has not been drawn up yet,” Buck said. He expects that 10 percent of his ministry will be in preaching and the other 90 percent in social services.
“As a member of the church staff, I’ll be able to be the ministerial representative for a lot of board meetings when the pastor isn’t able to be there or doesn’t have that particular expertise,” he said.
An example, Buck said, is the church’s board of trustees. Having been the chairman of that board, he said he could offer advice to the committee from both his previous experience and from a spiritual perspective—and from the church perspective.
Although he was already a certified lay speaker, Buck said, he felt a higher ministerial calling.
“My calling to ministry has been a progressive thing over time,” he said. He added that he had sensed a calling gradually to do more and more and had considered seminary, but it wasn’t feasible.
Instead, Buck, with the urging of the church’s senior pastor, the Rev. Mike Cave, pursued ministry through a less formal route.
His certification came from the San Antonio District Committee on Ordained Ministry and required in-depth interviews and training. He can serve in the district outside his local church and expects to fill in for some on vacation.
Buck said he hopes he can be a communication channel for laypeople in the Universal City congregation.
“It’s conceivable there may be members within the congregation who are looking for someone to talk to,” he said, “and they may not be totally comfortable talking with the clergy. I can be the conduit between the individual and the pastors, maybe have the ability to effect change.”
A retired Air Force pilot, Buck is a flight instructor at Randolph Air Force Base. He has lived in the San Antonio area since 1990.