The review is intended to help Readers to find ways to develop and to feel part of the deanery and diocese, and to help the diocese to take full advantage of the skills offered by readers. The review should also help to provide a clearer view of reader ministry in the deaneries and the diocese. The review process is not an assessment of performance. The review is confidential but it is necessary for an agreed summar (last page) to be returned to the Warden of Readers.
The pastoral contact, and ministerial review with readers was due to began in January 2005. Initially the Warden and Assistant Wardens set themselves the objective to complete ministerial reviews for all Readers in the Diocese by the end of 2008. This may seem a modest objective but at 20 interviews per year, or one per fortnight it is a demanding addition to other duties. This goal has been revised to complete all reviews by the end of 2010 and three Readers selected to assist with ministerial reviews.
It is recognised that incumbents and priests in charge conduct reviews with Readers. The interviews that the Wardens will be conducting are intended to complement those reviews. It is hoped that the reviews conducted by the Wardens will give readers an opportunity to reflect more widely on the place of spirituality and reader ministry in their lives, and the balance between that and other priorities. The Reader Ministerial Review is not intended to be any form of assessment but to assist personal review for each reader. The Assistant Wardens and the assistant reviewers I have been through the process and found the process most valuable. The interviews will also enable us to get a more rounded picture of each reader than is possible from the annual returns. If there are areas where further training or development might be helpful, these can be highlighted and followed up, but it is intended that this should be done in a way that is compatible with the work of the Readers in the parish.
The incumbent or priest in charge of each parish is informed before approaching a Reader in that parish is approached. Should a reader wish to be interviewed by another member of the review team rather than the person initially appointed, for any reason, they are free to request this. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact one the Wardens.
Here is a copy of the Reader Ministerial Review Form in: