Called to Lay Ministry

The Diocese of Leicester authorises evangelists to work alongside the other ordained and lay ministers within the Church under the authority of a parish priest, rural dean, or other local leadership, taking on particular responsibility for the proclamation of the Gospel for the growth of the Church. Evangelists may be members of local ministry teams and may be called to assist in exploring opportunities for evangelism in wider contexts. Anyone who is a regular baptised and confirmed communicant of the Church of England may be recommended to the Bishop with the support of their incumbent and parochial church council to go forward for selection, training and commissioning as an evangelist. While evangelists may be asked to preach occasionally in churches, the focus of the evangelist is towards those on the edge of Church life and those who have no contact with Church at all. Possible areas of work might include: Involvement in continuing one-to-one or small group evangelism Leading a parish or area audit on evangelistic opportunities Planning and delivering evangelistic activities and events Establishing and running enquirers groups (Alpha/Emmaus/Essence etc) Exploring and developing new ways of ‘being church’ Training others in ‘faith-sharing’ If you think God may be calling you to be an evangelist, talk to your incumbent or chaplaincy team leader. Also talk to someone who is already practising evangelism. For further information, forms for application and references and general advice, contact Jon Barrett (jon.barrett@leccofe.org/0116 2615335)

Here in the Diocese of Leicester, we are leading the way in recognising that pioneer ministry is a role to which some are called. Many of our Pioneers are involved in setting up Fresh Expressions of Church, or in emerging congregations. For more details on what it means to be licensed as a pioneer download a broucher with more infomation here. The role of pioneer minister is extremely diverse. So in the discernment process for pioneers, and those seeking a Bishop’s Licence in this ministry, the key attributes could be summed up as follows: The ability to recognise where God is at work outside of our Churches and in our community. The desire to reach those who are not part of our traditional Church family, and probably never will be. The courage to try, to get it wrong, to learn and to grow in the name of Christ and his church with the support of and accountability to their local church Should any of this raise questions for you, or intrigue you, please do contact Jonathan Dowman (jonathan.dowman@leccofe.org /0747 7783464). We would love to hear from you. 

This is a lay person who is selected, trained and authorised to serve alongside the clergy, Readers and churchwardens of a parish or benefice, or as part of an institutional chaplaincy team. They will take on particular responsibilities and sometimes leadership roles within the pastoral ministry of that church or institution, working under the direction of their incumbent or chaplaincy team leader. Following their selection, training and commissioning, pastoral assistants will be part of the public ministry of the Church, representative both of that Church and of the ministry of all lay people. There are various areas of work which could be undertaken by pastoral assistants, depending on the needs of the parish or institution, the existing ministries provided there, and the gifts, training, experience and time that the pastoral assistant can offer. These might include: Baptism preparation and follow up, visiting the sick, crisis support and befriending. Ministry to the dying, support of the bereaved, visiting new comers, working with prayer groups, general pastoral visiting in support of the clergy, enabling and co-ordinating others in pastoral Ministry and encouraging the development of good practice in pastoral care. Pastoral assistants will not normally be involved in or have a role in the liturgical ministry of the parish or institution, (ie. preaching and leading worship). They may however, with other members of the congregation, read lessons and lead intercessions. Pastoral assistants are authorised to distribute Holy Communion to the sick and housebound with the agreement of their incumbent. To administer the chalice in church, additional authorisation from the Bishop should be sought. Commissioning authorises the pastoral assistant for ministry in their parish, benefice or institution only. Pastoral assistants will normally be authorised to work up to the age of 70. They are commissioned for a period of three years after which they will require a renewal of their commission from the Bishop. Contact the Revd Kim Ford, Advisor for Pastoral Assistant Ministry (kimberleykford@aim.com / 0116 2592238), for further information.

Readers share the leadership of God’s people with their colleagues in other ministries. In particular, Readers bring to ministry the insights of someone who is actively involved as Christians in the life of the world, who love God and know his story and who love people and sharing that story with them. At the time of writing (October 2019) there are 160 Readers working across the Diocese of Leicester, with a further 11 in training.

Readers delight in teaching people in ways that take us deeper into discipleship and faith, encouraging the development of “everyday faith.” They also lead worship that renews and inspires, and they preach God’s word. 

Reader ministry has been around in its current guise for over 150 years but is constantly evolving. As well as teaching, leading services and preaching, many Readers conduct funerals; they help prepare those seeking baptism, confirmation and marriage. Some work as chaplains in hospital, the prison service and to the emergency services.

And as God’s church evolves, the future for Reader ministry is exciting. We’re keen to see Reader ministry flourish in this Diocese and the Bishops are supported in this by the Warden of Readers – Andy Smith- himself an experienced Reader. In turn, Andy is supported by the Readers’ Council – a team of readers from across the Diocese elected by their peers. You can click here to see a one-minute video by the Central Readers' Council 'Transforming Ministry' team about Riffat Zamurad, one of our Readers, here in Leicester.

Andy’s contact details are:

Andy Smith, Warden of Readers,
St. Martin’s House, 7 Peacock Lane,
Leicester. LE1 5PZ.
e-mail: Andy.Smith@LecCofE.org
Tel: 07896 519807 

Colleen Annan:  Market Bosworth
Sue Hack: Hathern
Roy Cashmore: Blaston
Carol Higson: Arnesby
Pauline Cummins: Hinckley
Debbie Watson: Barwell

For details about how to apply to become a reader, download the fact sheet from this page. Or contact Andy Smith (andy.smith@leccofe.org / 0116 2615317) for more information and advice.