Lay reader  A lay reader (in some jurisdictions simply reader) or licensed lay minister (LLM) is a person authorized by a bishop in the Anglican Communion to lead certain services of worship (or parts of the service), to preach, and to carry out pastoral and teaching functions. They are formally trained and admitted to office, but they remain part of the laity, not of the clergy. The office of Reader has existed in its present form since 1866. Reader ministry was originally restricted to men only. The first female readers were licensed during the First World War due to the shortage of men. The first group of women admitted were called "bishop's messengers" and they existed in 22 dioceses in England and one diocese in Canada. After the war there was a gap until 1969 when more female readers were appointed. There are now many thousands of readers in the Anglican church, including around ten thousand in the Church of England, and around 300 in the Church of Ireland. They are equally split between women and men. The terms "reader" and "lay reader" are largely interchangeable in common use. The original term in the Church of England was simply "reader", but "lay reader" is an early and common colloquialism, which has come to have official force in some parts of the Anglican Communion. In the Church of England the governing Canon E5 still references the office by the single word "Reader". In the Scottish Episcopal Church the governing Canon 20 always refers to the office by the two-word term "Lay Reader". In the Church of Ireland the generic term used is "Reader", but usually qualified as "Student Reader" for those admitted as part of their preparation for ordination (see below) or "Diocesan Reader" for those not seeking subsequent ordination. Following a Church of England working party report to the General Synod in 2009 most English dioceses have adopted the title Licensed Lay Minister (Reader), or LLM (Reader). Following training (usually over several years) a candidate is publicly admitted as a lay reader by the bishop. Standards of training and forms of admission are regulated by the Anglican Consultative Council and by the Canons of each province. Lay readers are usually admitted during a celebration of the eucharist. As part of the rite they are presented with a copy of the New Testament (CofE Canon E5[5]) and a certificate of admission to the office of reader (CofE Canon E5[6]).