Licensed Lay Ministers
Licensed Lay Ministry is a public ministry where the minister represents the church.
Ministers hold the Bishops’ licence after a period of theological and practical training. By virtue of their calling and training ministers are seen as theological educators in their parishes and as ministers of the word, leading worship and preaching when asked to do so.
Licensed Lay Ministers will usually work as part of a ministerial team under the guidance and direction of their incumbent or priest-in-charge. A lay minister’s main area of work may be in the parish, or it may be in a chaplaincy environment such as a hospital or prison by agreement with the appropriate authorities.
Training and formation for this ministry takes place though the Learning for Discipleship Programme. Participants register for the Foundation Degree at Oxford Brookes University and study alongside others in a combination of evenings and Saturdays over a period of two years before licensing and up to a further two years after licensing. The reason for this thorough training is to do with the high value the diocese and the Church of England place on this ministry, so that theological education with some degree of parity with their clergy colleagues is regarded as essential.
Taking it further
Those who would like to discuss a possible vocation to this ministry should contact the Revd Ian Cowley:
01722 411944, ian.cowley@salisbury.anglican.org
The LLM Discernment secretary is Allen Knott:
01305 267217, sarumrdr@gotadsl.co.uk
Events
Friday 31 August - Sunday 2 September
National Readers Conference 2012
The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire
£220 per delegate
Resources
Downloads are available from the box on the left (under 'In this section').
If you are considering a call to this ministry, it is worth reading Reader Ministry Explored (2009) by Cathy Rowling and Paula Gooder (SPCK Library of Ministry)
LLMs Application Form 2012
Ministry
