What does "the setting apart as reader" mean?

Question

I have just received an invite to a collegue's setting apart as reader at their Church. What exactly is that? Would like to be a bit more knowledable before I next see him!Thank you!

I had gone through the process and I thought I had picked Religions, but it came up with this category. I went back and there seems to be an error coming up and I can't get any other category than this so I'm here by default! This person is a member of the Church of Scotland.

Rockman - it is actually very clear what you have to do but it's not my fault if there's an error in the site that prevents you getting through to where you want to go! If all you've time to do is leave mindless, patronising answers then no wonder you're a top contributor. Have Yahoo even read your answers or are they only going by the number of answers you leave, regardless of their content? It's a genuine question regardless of which category it's landed in so either answer it or don't - you get it? Hope I've helped!

Rockman, I come bearing an olive branch. Thanks for trying to be clearer in your answer. However, your answer is still of no use at all to me!Having a better 4th than I did 3rd and the 5th is looking to be even better!Cheers!

Answer 1

He is being "set apart" as a "lay reader". This is a special status within the church, just below that of full-time ordained minister, and it means that after an approved course of study and practice, he is being officially recognised as a person able to conduct a service of public worship, although not to administer baptism, perform a wedding, or celebrate Communion.

I know two of these lay readers, and have enormous admiration for them. They have no salary, they just fill in when ordained ministers are on holiday, or in scattered parishes with several far-apart churches and only one minister. The service at which he will be "set apart as a reader" recognises his commitment to this valuable work, and will ask for a blessing on what he does.

If it is in the Church of Scotland, then the next issue of their magazine "Life and Work" will record your colleague's name in a special section on its "Registers" page, beside the sections with full ministerial ordinations, inductions or translations.

Answer 2

< EDIT: Ok, let's try this again. (Wow you really let me
have it, and I'd written in absolute peace and
earnest! Honestly.)

Let me rephrase exactly what I'd meant originally.
"As far as I can direct your question," meaning
I'm not an expert, and, "I assumed that it had
been cleared up through technicians
finding and fixing the error or glitch."

Then, as per "Heading" one's question, I meant
that I'd seen many people literally writing "Polls"
or "Science" or whatever apt word as the
opening of their Question.

Wow. Patronising?

Me? Not in the least.

I think if you look at how I've reworded, versus
the original, you'll see that they can mean the
same, but perhaps it just hadn't occurred to
me that someone reading it would be so put
off. Usually when I write to be helpful, I'm not
anticipating any of my readers to be in
a guarded frame of mind, because I
don't hover subjects which are combative.

Hope this makes things better, and have a cool Fourth!
END EDIT > ..........

As far as directing your question, I thought
that had been cleared up.

Several days ago, apparently there'd been
(according to dozens of reports by our
Y.A. guest-cousins or, other answerers),
a need to simply Head your question with
the section or category that you want.

Polls for Polls & Surveys,
Religion for R & S,
Science for Sci & Math

< You get it.

Hope I've helped!

Answer 3

I don't know. You should probably ask in the Religion section, and specify the church in question. I've been a reader in a Catholic Church with no ceremony at all.