Letters from Bishop Trevor
Reader Ministry Permission to Officiate
Reflection on Promises
(word format)
Readers Ministry Review Form (word format)
What is Reader Ministry
(pdf format)
Letter from Bishop Trevor to ALMs about Reader ministry (pdf format) What next (pdf format)
Canon Rob Mackintosh
Warden of Readers
01227 459401
rmackintosh@diocant.org
Archdeaconry Reader Representatives:
Deanery Reader Advisers:
Meet the new Readers
Eight new Readers were licensed in September 2012 at a special service in Canterbury Cathedral.
Click here to meet them.
Celebration of Reader Ministry service for 2013
Sunday 22nd September
Canterbury Cathedral
Further details to follow.
Readers are lay woman and men from a diversity of occupations - teachers, shop or office workers, accountants, machine operators, nurses. They may be found in agriculture, government, industry, or at home. There are 138 active Readers in the Canterbury Diocese and they play a vital role in the mission and ministry of the church, taking part in thousands of services each year and giving many hours of their time to their communities.
The Reader's calling
The visible role of a Reader on a Sunday morning may appear to be very similar to that of others who minister.
But they are a distinct ministry because:
- They are theologically trained
- They are recognised not only locally but by the wider church
- They can be the focus of lay ministry in the daily life of the church
- Readers can serve as bridges between church and community and between clergy and laity, and they need to be team players if they are to exercise this ministry effectively
What they do
Readers' roles vary depending on the individual and on their church circumstances, but would typically include some liturgical role within services (leading services, reading, giving sermons, helping administer communion) and often work far beyond church walls.
A Reader may help with children's work, visit the elderly and the sick, be involved with schools work, take funerals, help with baptism preparation, and in many other ways help to spread the Gospel throughout our diocese.
Most often, Readers serve within the ministry team of a parish, but can also operate at a Deanery or Archdeaconry level or in specialized 'sector minister' areas, such as hospital or prison Chaplaincies. They bring to the ministry the insights of one who is actively involved as a Christian in the life of the world.
Equipped by their training, Readers often play a key role in running house groups and Bible study groups. As a person with theological and liturgical training a Reader is able to be a resource to individuals both in the church and the world outside.
Selection and training
Selection and Training for Reader Ministry must do justice to all aspects of Reader ministry. Readers need to be articulate in their preaching and teaching, yet both preaching and teaching should be firmly rooted in their Monday to Saturday lives.
If you would like more information or a discussion about your potential calling to Reader ministry then please contact Emma Sivyer, Vocations Officer on 01227 459401 / esivyer@diocant.org.uk or have an initial conversation with your parish priest.
If after this you still believe you are called to Reader ministry then you will be put in touch with the warden of Readers who will arrange for you to meet with the discernment team who make recommendations for people to attend a selection day (usually in June or July). If at the end of this process, a call to Reader ministry is discerned then you will start your training with SEITE.
The training programme for Readers is delivered by the South East Institute for Theological Education (SEITE) in partnership with Canterbury Diocese. It involves a combination of evening classes, Saturday teaching days and practical engagement with ministry in your own Parish and in a carefully chosen placement church. Regular contact with specialist teachers, encounters with a wide range of other students, and supervised opportunities to grow in ministry, are key parts of what is offered.
After completing the first two years, students who are ready to go forward are licensed and begin to exercise their ministry as Readers. New Readers are then supported by a further 2 years of continuing study with SEITE enabling them to grow in and reflect on their ministry. Successful completion of all programme elements, including written assignments, leads to a Foundation Degree in Theology for Christian Ministry from Canterbury Christ Church University.
For further information, contact the SEITE office (01634 846683 / email administrator@seite.co.uk) for a prospectus, or you can also visit the website (www.seite.co.uk).