Readers are licensed by our bishops to be a recognised lay minister in the Church of England with a significant role in a parish to be committed to teaching and preaching the Word of God in both words and through the public example of their life as a disciple.
Public teaching and application of scripture is a serious responsibility in the life of the whole Church. Therefore, Readers are committed to both study in the preparation for becoming a Reader and as a lifelong passion to remain learners of the content of scripture and in honing their methods for communicating what they have learned within the context of specific places and people.
Readers have the opportunity to significantly support disciples in their journey of faith, encouraging them to seek God in scripture and listen for God’s voice in applying scripture to their daily life. Readers are licensed under the oversight of an incumbent priest (vicar) usually in a specific parish or church.
Readers, as lay people, with all their experiences of work, family and community life offer a particular perspective in the teaching ministry of the church. They are well placed to use the skills and experience they continue to develop to bring to the Church the concerns of the world and to help those who are part of the Church to apply God’s wisdom to the needs of the world.
Readers are also equipped to lead public acts of worship to locate teaching and preaching within an understanding of worship. Some also choose to be trained in bereavement and funeral ministry allowing them to share the hope of the gospel in some of the most painful moments of people’s lives.
