Chaplain’s Blog Stardate 17-10-2025 – Bishop David’s Challenge and Reflections
Last Saturday it was wonderful to see so many gathered readers at the service and to be able to welcome our four newest Licensed Lay Ministers.
I was there the whole day, beginning with a meeting with the new readers to be licensed in the Old Cathedral school as they had to make their promises to the Bishop. Bishop Hugh had been warden to the Readers LLMs and so it was most fitting that as he comes to the end of his time in Truro that he officiated and went on to preach at the service and that the licenses were issued in his name.
After the OCS part of the day, I went over to the cathedral, put on my robes and stood about to welcome the Readers and their families as they arrived.. and to check what microphone I had to use for my bit… and where I was supposed to be sitting which is always a worry in these formal events!
The next hour was filled with rehearsals for the wonderful Trigg Minor and Bodmin deanery Choir, the people being licensed, the folk receiving long service awards, the assisting minister and so on… and all the while old friends arriving with hands to shake and stories to catch up on.
Then came the organisation of the procession! Canon Sue attempting to herd priests, readers, choir and assorted others into the appropriate places in the Chapter House, meanwhile, Claire the Reader events secretary was running about just as much making sure that people had arrived and knew their places and to find a substitute to read the lesson!
Finally, two hours after I had first arrived the service began- the reader part of the procession taking a detour until they caught up with the rest… and following the first hymn, clutching my roving microphone and my service book I found my seat next to the archdeacon.
Bishop David presided, and Bishop Hugh preached… asking us to look at what our real blessings are; and later, Bishop David challenged us to find five more readers each …….
Today, a week later, I am Chaplain for the day at the Foundations in Ministry Course, this one focusing on Vocations amongst other things. On the other side of Epiphany house the Diocesan DDO is leading a large group also about Vocations!
So…. Encouraging five more people to Reader Ministry… could I do that? How would I do that? Should I, even, do that? Perhaps it would be more realistic to encourage five more people to consider whether they have a vocation and what that call on them might be whether it is church warden or reader, priest or prophet, worship leader of local lay leader.
Here is my thinking, and I am well aware that some of my opinions might get me into hot water in some quarters but I am going to say it anyway!
The current model of Reader training, especially the cutbacks mean that the trainees have to travel to Plymouth on seven early Saturday mornings, spend the entire day being filled with theology and then drive home again. If one lives just across the border with England that model is workable, but what if one lives in Sennen or at the end of the Lizard peninsular – that day would be ridiculously long and the return journey probably a safeguarding concern! For people with young families who are working, this mode of operation is problematic to say the least. So, training as a worship leader becomes an attractive option and although they are not supposed to preach sermons, many…… well I will let you finish the sentence.
Is it time for a radical change? Is there a way of training Readers locally, using our local experts, and building evolving vocations that might begin with worship leaders, foundations in ministry and then Reader Apprenticeships. They would be working at the role, taking on more and more responsibility but attending local training to lift their knowledge of theology, pastoral ministry and so on.
Vocations evolve. Let’s build a system of training that encourages evolution and a more logical progression through the possible pathways. Our ordained ministers, our distinctive deacons, licensed lay ministers, local lay leaders, pastoral ministers and worship leaders do not form a logical pathway of stopping stones but it is worth asking if the jumps between them are not as conducive as they might be.
Our next Readers in Conversation Zoom meeting is a fortnight away on the 3rd November, perhaps this might be a good starting point for discussion
Yours in Christ
Jim