Readers are required to have an annual review with their Incumbent and submit an annual return to the DRB the DRB also administers a quinquennial external review. The licence ceases on reaching age 70, or if withdrawn by the Bishop.Ĭontinuing Ministerial Development and Review The standard licence is for five years and is renewable. Each candidate must have undergone Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance and received Safeguarding training before being licensed as an LLM (Reader) by the Bishop to a specific parish/benefice (or, sometimes, to a hospital etc). On satisfactory completion of the course, they are awarded the Church of England Reader's Certificate and a Foundation Dregree in Ministry currently from Oxford Brookes University (but to be from Durham from September 2014) and are admitted by the Bishop to the Office of LLM (Reader). LLM (Readers) are trained on the Local Ministry Programme for three years (or for a shorter time if they have recent theological qualifications).
Selection is specifically for training for Reader ministry. Selection meetings are held in the early part of each year (on Saturdays in Guildford) for which the formal support of the Incumbent and PCC is needed. Detailed information packs are available from the DRB Candidates Secretary to whom applications should be returned. Readers receive no stipend, but should be offered travelling and out of pocket expenses if asked to take services outside their own parish.Īnyone who feels a call to this ministry should first speak to their Incumbent. Readers may minister in other parishes by invitation, with the permission of their own Incumbent, but it is not primarily a peripatetic ministry. They may not baptise (except, like any lay person, in emergency) or conduct weddings. With the approval of the Incumbent and the relatives, they may conduct funerals. They may preach and assist at the Eucharist, but not preside. LLMs may lead and preach at Morning and Evening Prayer and Services of the Word. The Diocese has adopted the nationally recommended title LLM (Reader), but for convenience both terms are used on this site. Within the Diocese, the Warden of LLM (Readers) is the coordinator of LLM ministry, working with the Director of Ministerial Training and the Diocesan LLM (Readers') Board (DRB). The ministry is nationally accredited and authorised by Canon Law. They are theologically resourced lay people they are bridges, interpreting the world to the church and the church to the world. They have been described as 'theological resource people working within a pastoral context' and they will always minister within a collaborative setting. LLM (Readers) are lay people, communicant members of the Church of England, licensed by the Bishop to assist their Incumbent by preaching, teaching, leading worship and helping with pastoral and other work.