Lucy Harrison

Readers' Handbook and Training and Events Programme

Reader Training

This section will soon be updated.

In the meantime, for more information about reader training, see here.

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Contact our Lay ministries Team

For all initial enquires about Reader Ministry in the Diocese of Derby, please contact:

Lay Ministries Officer
Ben Martin 01332 278139 ben.martin@derby.anglican.org
Director of Studies
Revd Dawn Glen 01332 388674 dawn.glen@derby.anglican.org
PA to Warden of Readers
Fiona Bennett 01332 388670 fiona.bennett@derby.anglican.org

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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.

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Readers

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.

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Readers

Rachel Williams

I was born in Retford in Nottinghamshire, but moved to Kettering in Northamptonshire aged 5. I worked for may years in the newspaper industry in Northamptonshire and then in Suffolk, before moving to Nottinghamshire 10 years ago. Since then I have completed a degree, masters degree and trained to become a secondary school teacher and I now work at Queen Elizabeth's Academy in Mansfield where I teach Health and Social Care, Child Development, Sociology and RE. I will be continuing to work full time following ordination.

I will be serving at St Mary and St Laurence in Bolsover. 'I am looking forward to my new role as curate and working with Rev Rachel Gouldthorpe and immersing myself into the life and work of the church.

In my spare time I enjoy long walks with my black labrador, Basil.

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Carla Prior

I’m Carla Vicencio Prior. I’m 44, I’m married to Nick and we have two children. I’m Portuguese, but moved to the UK in 1985 and have lived here (on and off) ever since. Before training for ministry, most of my working life was spent in a business context, mostly marketing and market research and running my own small business.

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Julian Penfold

I was born and brought up in Brighton, and moved to Solihull in the West Midlands in 1980, and then on to Lincolnshire in 2000. In 2009 I remarried, and moved onto my wife’s farm in Derbyshire in 2009. I have a son who lives in Bristol with his family, his wife Fiona and their children Isabella 3, and Charles (Charlie) born on 14^th April this year. I have retired from paid employment and I keep myself busy by pottering around the family farm, getting more involved in church work and driving as a volunteer for Community Transport. Before I retired I worked formerly as an Internal Auditor and latterly in resident involvement making sure that tenants of Local Authorities and Housing Associations have a voice in the organisations that they are tenants of.

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Hilary Moore

Black Sheep and Crooked Spires

Hilary Moore, is to be ordained as a Self-Supporting Pioneer deacon at a service in Ashbourne on Sunday July 5^th. She will serve her curacy at the Order of the Black Sheep in Chesterfield with a secondary placement at St Mark’s and SS Augustine’s, also of Chesterfield.

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Alan Griggs

Alan Griggs, 43 is to be a self- supporting Curate at St Barnabas, Derby after being ordained Deacon by the Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Dr Alistair Redfurn , at a service in St Oswalds Church, Ashbourne on Sunday 5th July at 10.45am.

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Marian Brookes

Marian Brookes, a former Reader, is to be ordained Deacon by the Bishop of Derby,

Alastair Redfern, at a service in St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne on Sunday July

5^th. (10.45am) Marian will serve her curacy as a self-supporting LOM in the Parish of All Saints Church, Ripley.

Marian lives in Ripley with her husband Jim. They have two married daughters and four lovely grandchildren who make them laugh and keep them in touch with the ever changing culture of our time! Both Marian and Jim have retired from careers in education.

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