Church Admin

What is a licensed lay minister (reader)?

Licensed Lay Ministers (Readers) are lay people licensed by the diocesan bishop to lead, preach, teach, and enable others. They are lay theologians who are engaged with their communities and the culture around them and are called to teach the faith, enable mission in the everyday, and lead in church and society. As people admitted to the office of Reader, their ministry is voluntary, nationally accredited, episcopally licensed and governed by Canon Law.

They do this both inside and outside the existing Church by:

Explaining the Christian faith
Responding pastorally to need
Being role models for, and fellow disciples with, people seeking to live out the Christian gospel in today’s world

The role is often described as ‘theologically educated and culturally engaged.

Readers were first used in the 19th Century, when there was a massive increase in the population of England. In response the Victorians built lots of churches and then had to work out how to respond to the spiritual and pastoral needs of the people who flocked to them, as well as their expectations for well-led services.

Part of the answer was to licence a group of lay people to work with the clergy. They were called “Readers” because one of their more obvious jobs was to read out loud Morning and Evening Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, so that congregations could join in.

Readers come from all walks of life. There are currently around 150 Readers (licenced and with Permission to Officiate) involved in mission and ministry around the Diocese of Derby.

Some are involved in chaplaincy in schools, prisons, workplaces and hospitals, others are involved in pioneer ministry or community development, and still more are involved with preaching and teaching in the parish and leading worship.All Readers in the diocese are licenced to a parish or benefice to enable them to have direct relationships of accountability and support.However, this doesn’t mean that they are restricted to working within one parish or the work that the parish or benefice is already doing.Many Readers initiate new pieces of work and projects formed out of their relationships with ordinary people going about their everyday lives.

To support and enable LLM (Readers) in mission and ministry, the Diocese provides pastoral support and care for them, email update, a programme of learning opportunities and various social events.

Becoming a reader

Reader Licensing 2023 at Derby Cathedral

If someone feels like God is calling them to something, however distant it may feel, the first port of call is to speak to their vicar (if you don’t have a vicar, you could speak to a supportive ordained or lay minister, for example the Area Dean or somebody who is helping lead services in your benefice). They will be able to have some initial conversations and help them work out the next steps. This may be to contact the Director of Ordinands and Vocations or it could be to try a module on the Certificate in Theology of Mission, and Ministry course (CTMM) which is run by the Director of Studies (DoS). If they are interested in Licensed Lay Ministry, there will be an option to explore this on their initial application to the course. However, this isn’t their only opportunity, as they are very welcome to contact the DoS at any point during their studies and express this interest.

The Diocese of Derby runs a flexible course which is delivered primarily online, with 3 in-person shared learning mornings per year. There is a helpful infographic in Appendix 3. The course runs annually, though modules can be applied for mid-year if applicable.

When someone begins studying on the CTMM course, they will receive their pathway document which will show them the journey they are currently on. If they have expressed an interest in becoming a Licensed Lay Minister (Reader) this will include a Vocations Advisor (VA). This is someone who will journey with them, helping them work out in some more detail what God might be calling them to.

The training for Licensed Lay (Reader) ministry also has a discernment pathway, and so meetings with the VA are essential and counted as part of the course. Students will meet at least 3 times with a VA in the appropriate year of study, typically the second. The vocations process will culminate with an in-person interview with a discernment panel usually at the start of Term 3 (Autumn Term) of the year indicated on the pathway document. The panel then make a recommendation. This may be to continue into the final year of training, possibly with some areas to work on, or to complete the CTMM in a different kind of locally recognised ministry.

Neither is a success or a failure - it is just about helping you to fulfil God’s calling on your life at this time.

The qualities required for Licensed Lay (Reader) ministry can be found in Appendix 4. These are what the VA and the discernment panel, alongside the incumbent and course team will be exploring with the student. The final decision as to whether or not a candidate will be licensed rests solely with the Bishop of Derby.

A call to be an LLM(R) is distinctive and generally characterised by those three strands: Teaching the Faith, Enabling Mission in the Everyday, and Leading in Church and Society. This public and representative leadership, theologically literate teaching, and enabling of others does not have just one expression. Some LLM(R)s will have specialisms, or ‘shapes’ such as pioneering, chaplaincy, youth, children and families, all-age worship, or preaching to name a few. This breadth of ministry helps to encourage a genuine mixed ecology of church, and LLM(R)s are encouraged to share their specialist knowledge and practice with other churches if the opportunity arises.

Resources for Licensed Lay Ministers (Readers)

In brief: what is a reader?

Licensed Lay Ministers, also known as Readers, play an important role in the public ministry of the Church by leading worship, teaching and preaching, as well as in a wide range of missional and pastoral contexts. As theologically trained lay people they offer a ministry within the church and to the wider community; and are well placed to encourage people in their everyday faith. The office of Reader in the Church of England is governed by canon law (Canons E4, 5 & 6).

The ministry of individual Readers varies according to their gifting and mission context. Whilst most Readers minister collaboratively as part of a team of lay and ordained ministers some work very much on the margins of society sharing God’s love and message of hope to those who may not yet know it.

>> Read more

READERS ARE:

Called by God to a ministry of the Word
Licensed by the Bishop to exercise a public and representative lay ministry in Church and the wider community
Theologically trained and equipped as:
- teachers of the faith
- enablers of mission in the everyday
- leaders in church and community

Some Readers are also trained and authorised by the Bishop to offer funeral ministry, some are authorised to lead Communion by Extension services.

What is a Reader?

Becoming a Reader

Reader Renewals and Returns

Church Admin

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Contactless collections

How your church can start taking card payments!

As fewer people carry cash, it’s becoming increasingly important for parishes to look at alternative ways to receive payments and donations.

There’s a new category on the Parish Buying website to help churches consider the different types of reader for contactless and chip and pin card payments.

Alongside small hand-held card readers (which cost as little as £19 each) there now are more sophisticated self-service donation units available for churches to buy.

To find out more visit www.parishbuying.org.uk/contactless

>> Churches that have trialled a digital collection box have reported a 97% increase in donations! Read more (from BBC News)

How can my Church start taking card payments?