A request for licensing a Lay Reader should be made by …
- the Rector/Vicar of the congregation where the Lay Reader will serve; or,
- the Senior Warden of the congregation, if there is no pastor; or,
- the bishop’s designee, in extraordinary cases.
Requests are handled by the Missionary Diocese of the South and Ozarks. Contact the diocese to begin a request.
Information the request will ask for
Requestor
- Name and role (Rector, Vicar, Senior Warden, or bishop’s designee)
- Church name
Candidate
- Name, address, phone, and email address
- Date of birth
Candidate’s background
- Baptism: date, and by whom
- Confirmation or reception into the United Episcopal Church: date, and by whom
- Regular attendance at services for the past six months, and where
- Regular financial support of the congregation
- Whether the candidate is under church discipline, or engages in any ungodly practice that would bring reproach to the name of Christ or the church
- Completion of the diocesan Lay Reader training (date), or current progress in it
- Any previous license as a Lay Reader: date, and by whom
- Whether a license to preach sermons of his own composition is requested, and whether the bishop’s requirements for it have been completed
Requestor’s acknowledgment
The requestor asks that the candidate be licensed as a Lay Reader in the Missionary Diocese of the South and Ozarks, and acknowledges that a Lay Reader may not distribute Holy Communion under any circumstances, and that a Lay Reader license must be renewed at least annually.
Source: Missionary Diocese of the South and Ozarks.