Authority in the Church is easily misunderstood and is often viewed through the lens of politics or secular corporate life. It is sometimes also confused with authoritarianism. But authority in the Church is based on the promise that every member makes when initiated into the Christian community; at baptism and confirmation, the candidates (or in the case of infants, their parents, godparents and sponsors) are asked “Do you submit to Christ as Lord?” Hence, as they take their place in the life of the Church members promise to be faithful to Our Lord, which is an acknowledgement of the source of authority for our lives as Christians.

Some individuals within the community, the Bishops, but also those with whom the Bishop shares pastoral responsibility, the priests, exercise authority under Christ in order to preserve and promote the unity, integrity and communion (koinonia) of the whole community, in order that the whole Church can be obedient to Christ and faithful to His mission. The exercise of authority in the Church is in order to support the vocation of the whole people of God, so that they can be people of the Way (cf. Acts 9.2) and live, work and journey together in Christ, who is the Way. The scriptural images of tending sheep (hence the Bishop’s pastoral staff) and cultivating the land to let it bear fruit, are positive and helpful images of the exercise of authority in the Church.

So, a Reader, like all ministers in the Church ordained and lay, are not autonomous authorities unto themselves. We are all accountable for our ministry to those who have oversight over us, and those who are in oversight are accountable to Christ our Lord. In day to day practice this means a Reader works under the authority and direction of the Chaplain of the Chaplaincy to which one is authorised to function.

This obligation is underlined in the promises that are made at their admission and licensing when Readers solemnly make two declarations with regard to faithful obedience to lawful authority in the Church:

“I, A B, will give due obedience to the Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe and his successors

in all things lawful and honest.”

“I, A B, about to be licensed to exercise the office of Reader in the Chaplaincy of N, do hereby promise to endeavour, as far as in me lies, to promote peace and unity, and to conduct myself as becomes a worker for Christ, for the good of his Church, and for the spiritual welfare of all people. I will give due obedience to the minister in whose cure I may serve, in all things lawful and honest.”

We invite the Readers of this diocese to consider that the lines of authority in the Church are not merely power structures, but that they exist to support their ministry in effective service in the Church and to the world. As Jesus said of himself that he “did not come to be served but to serve” (Mt 20:28).