Is the lector ministry in your parish or diocese set up for a fixed number of years? I hope not.

Recently, one of our readers told me that under new diocesan leadership, he was now required to dismiss some of his parish’s long-time lectors to make room for new lectors wanting to come in.

To simply decide who goes out based on their time in service is foolish, especially among those very best lectors who make a huge impact on their fellow parishioners Sunday after Sunday: those dedicated servants who consider their ministry a vocation and genuinely feel called to serve: those who’ve become amazingly skilled conduits for Jesus’s voice to reach, awaken and transform his children in the pews?

When my lector coordinator friend asked for my opinion about this, I said that it’s not about tenure on the outside, but discernment on the inside that should decide whether a lector should continue to serve or move on to other ministries.

Though there are many “old guard” lectors who feel entitled to remain in service, they are often the ones who are due for a little discernment, preferably in a face-to-face setting with their ministry leadership.  And one good place to start is with this discernment exercise here:

https://www.catholiclector.com/blog/lector-discernment-not-just-for-newbies

 I don’t envy any lector coordinator or ministry head who’s required to follow arms-length rules laid down by bishops, pastors, liturgists or parish staffers who just don’t grasp the sacredness of this ministry. Being a lector coordinator myself for nearly 20 years, I would step down on the spot if I was ever put in the position of terminating some of my best lectors because they’ve been around too long.

It may be easy to set time limits for many other ministries, but the Ministry of Lector is far too sacred to be treated like just another function or task.

This is my take on the matter. What’s yours?  I’m open to discuss it. Just reach me here.