Clergy and Readers

Around 300 clergy minister to communities across the Diocese, we are further supported by more than 370 active Readers (lay ministers). 

Clergy

Clergy is the term for all people ordained for religious service. A person who is accepted for ordination as a priest is first ordained as a deacon. Usually after a year, a deacon is ordained as a priest; however, some people are called to remain life-long distinctive deacons.

There are different jobs priests can do including: curate, parish priest, chaplain or ordained pioneer minister

Training and development

Information on training and development opportunities, including Continuing Ministerial Development, for Bath & Wells clergy is available in our School of Formation section. 

Readers

Readers are lay ministers who are called to lead services, preach and attend to pastoral work arising from these ministries.

On a typical week, in Bath & Wells Readers preach over 100 sermons and lead, or help lead, over 200 services. Readers have a significant pastoral role, visiting people in their homes, taking communion to the housebound and working in our schools and colleges. Some work with the bereaved and lead funerals.

Recommended reading for anyone considering the Reader ministry is Bridging the Gap which explains all about becoming and being a Reader and includes a list of contacts.

 

 

 

 

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