To be considered for this ministry a candidate must be a baptised, confirmed and a regular communicant of the Church of England. Reader ministry is nationally recognised and transferable within the Church of England, the Church in Wales, and in some other dioceses and provinces of the Anglican Communion. This distinguishes Readers from other locally recognised forms of lay ministry, such as that of authorised lay ministers (ALMs), chaplains, pastoral assistants and ‘lay’ lay leaders. Being able to articulate a sense of calling to a ‘licensed’ lay ministry rather than a call to recognised local lay ministry (or simply as a means to completing some theological training) is an important aspect of the discernment process. The Discernment & Selection ProcessTo discern a calling and vocation to Reader ministry, prospective Readers are encouraged to begin by speaking with their incumbent or local priest, as well as with other Readers and members of their congregation. When you're ready, you should also speak with the Warden of Readers:
You may be encouraged to further explore your sense of calling through one of these avenues:
Contact Marianne Hambrook for more details. Once youve been in touch with the Warden of Readers and you're ready to take the process forwards, they will arrange for a discernment meeting to take place between the candidate, the incumbent (or local priest), and a Reader Vocations Adviser. The purpose of the meeting is to reflect on what a call to licensed lay ministry might look like both for the candidate and for the parish/ministry context; as well as to answer any questions. The outcome of the meeting will be to come to a mutual decision about whether to make a formal application. The Warden will also invite the candidate to attend a discernment panel if appropriate. The application process
The Discernment PanelThe Discernment Panel normally takes place annually in June or July at Diocesan House, in Canterbury. The main purpose of the panel is to consider whether the candidate is being called to a nationally governed ‘licensed’ lay ministry in the Church rather than locally ‘recognised’ lay ministry or something else. The National Selection criteria are currently under review, and a new discernment framework for lay and ordained ministry is being developed. The panel will be looking for evidence of:
But remember, that the panel isn’t looking for the ‘finished article’ at this stage. The Bishop makes the final decision about whether to recommend a candidate for training. If recommended, the training course begins in September that year. |