Helping you to grow and develop in a supportive environment whether as a minister, deacon, reader or priest
“ For those of us returning to study after a long time, St Michael's was the ideal place - a great source of learning and a wonderful experience for deepening our faith. ”
Terry Cox, Reader
Reader Training
The ministry of a reader in Anglican churches is now changing in many ways. Readers have traditionally been asked to take some services and preach. The demands of the present Church mean that readers are being asked to do an increasing amount of ministry and leadership in the local church, which requires the ability to think in new ways, to adapt to new circumstances and to work in collaboration with ministry teams of ordained and non-ordained ministers. To be effective in this kind of ministry needs a good foundation in theology and the ability to engage with people as a minister of God's Word in an ever-expanding variety of settings. Today's readers don't just need to know their Bible and theology: they need to be able to make flexible connections between what the Church teaches and believes, and its application in a changing world.
At St Michael's, readers are trained on a specially-adapted version of our non-residential course. Students are registered on the Cardiff University part-time Certificate in Practical Theology course which we teach in our three teaching centres: St Michaels, Llandaff (Cardiff); Trinity University College (Carmarthen) and Glyndŵr University (Wrexham). Students travel for weekly lectures to their nearest centre. In addition there are various residential weekends and an annual week-long summer-school. The course lasts two years, after which, students who successfully complete it are admitted and licensed as readers by their bishop.
Next steps
Interested? First speak with your local parish priest. Find out more at joining the course.