Licensed Readers and Readers with PtO
Readers are licensed to a parish, benefice or deanery within the diocese.
At the age of 70, Readers transfer from a licence to a Permission to Officiate (PtO).
Reader licences and PtOs are administered by the Vocations and Training Team. For information about licence and PtO requirements, renewals and transfers or other enquiries please contact Cath Hughes.
On this page you can find information about:
- Requirements for Readers
- Renewing a Reader Licence or PtO
- Reader Reviews
- Transferring a Reader Licence or PtO
Requirements for Readers
The requirements for holding a Bishop's Reader licence or Permission to Officiate are:
- support of the incumbent (or Rural Dean during a vacancy) and PCC in each parish in which the Reader exercises their ministry.
- valid DBS clearance:
- Enhanced clearance for adult and child workforce, including adult and child barred lists checks.
Information about DBS checks can be found here.
- valid safeguarding training
- Basic Awareness
- Foundation
- Leadership (for licensed Readers OR PtO Pathway (for Readers with PtO, unless Leadership level is required for another role
- Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse
Information about Safeguarding training can be found here.
Additional requirements for licensed Readers are:
- Reader review and role descriptor
- Continuing Ministerial Development (CMD): the equivalent of 1 day per year. Details of training courses can be found here.
It is also recommended as good practice that Readers with PtO continue to:
- review their role descriptor with their incumbent
- develop their ministry and take advantage of training opportunities.
These recommended practices are administered locally and not required as part of the PtO application, renewal or transfer process.
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Renewing a Reader Licence or PtO
Length of Reader licences & PtOs
- Reader licences are issued for 5 years until the age of 70, or until the next diocesan quinquenial renewal date.
- All diocesan Reader licences are renewed at the quinquennial renewal on 01 May in the 1st and 6th years of each decade.
- The length of PtO granted depends on the age of the Reader: age 70 - 3 years; age 71 to 75 - 2 years; age 76 and over - 1 year.
- PtOs are not part of the quinquennial renewals and are only renewed in a quinquennial renewal year if they would be due to expire that year anyway.
- As Readers are required to have valid DBS clearance and safeguarding training, their PtO will only remain valid if these are kept up to date.
Renewing a Reader licence or PtO
- When a Reader licence is due to expire, a Reader will be invited to renew their licence. They will need to complete a Reader licence renewal form.
- When a Reader PtO is due to expire, a Reader will be invited to apply for a new PtO. They will need to complete a Reader PtO application form.
- If you wish to apply to reinstate a dormant Reader licence or PtO please contact Cath Hughes.
- Before renewing or reinstating a Reader licence or PtO the necessary requirements must be met.
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Reader Reviews
Incumbents are asked to carry out a review of each licensed Reader's ministry. If the parish is in vacancy then the Rural Dean will oversee the review process. The purpose of the review is to focus on the ministry the Reader offers and to explore what this means for them in the coming months and years.
Licensed Readers
Licensed Readers are required to have a full review with their incumbent once every five years and to review their role descriptor annually.
The full review includes:
- getting feedback from other people about their ministry via the 180 degree questionnaire.
- completing the review form.
- having a review with their incumbent.
- agreeing a role descriptor/working agreement with the incumbent. A role descriptor template and a guide to drawing up a written role descriptor are available to use if needed.
Readers with PtO
Readers with PtO are advised to have an annual review with their incumbent and to agree their role descriptor but this is not required as part of the PtO application or transfer process.
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Transferring a Reader Licence or PtO
Transferring from outside the Diocese of Lichfield
- If you are a Reader who has moved or is moving from another diocese, we'd love to welcome you to our diocese and you can apply to transfer your licence or PtO once you have settled into your new parish(es) for a period of 6 months.
Transferring within the Diocese of Lichfield
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If you already hold a Reader licence or PtO in the diocese but wish to transfer to a different parish or benefice within the diocese, you can apply to do this once you have settled into your new parish(es) for a period of 6 months.
Applying to transfer a Reader Licence or PtO
To apply to transfer your licence or PtO you will need to:
- meet the requirements for a Reader licence or PtO.
- complete the Reader Licence transfer form or Reader PtO transfer form
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