A lay reader (in some jurisdictions simply reader) or licensed lay minister (LLM) is a layperson authorized by a bishop in the Anglican Communion to lead certain services of worship or lead certain parts of a service. They are members of the congregation permitted to preach and preside at some services, but not called to ordained ministry.  In the Church of England, the office used to be known simply as Reader. Following a working party report to the General Synod in 2009 most dioceses have adopted the title Licensed Lay Minister (Reader), or LLM (Reader). Their theological training enables them to preach, teach, and lead worship, and they are also able to assist in pastoral, evangelistic and liturgical work.  Anglican lay readers are licensed by the bishop to a particular parish or to the diocese at large. In the former case, in some areas, their tenure expires with the resignation of the parish priest. In the Anglican tradition, the role of licensed lay readers, whose prominence varies by region, is similar to that of a non-conformist lay preacher

 

The office of Lay Reader has existed in its present form since 1866, and there are now around ten thousand lay readers in the Church of England. 

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The ceremonial scarf worn by Anglican priests, deacons, and lay readers is formally called a tippet, although it is often known colloquially as a "preaching scarf". It is worn with choir dress and hangs straight down at the front. Ordained clergy (bishops, priests and deacons) wear a black tippet, while readers (known in some dioceses as licensed lay ministers) wear a blue one (as described above). Commissioned evangelists of the Church Army are presented with a cherry red 'collar' type tippet, as a sign of authority to preach, but some replace this with a scarf form of the tippet, but retaining the distinctive red colour.

 

Tippets are often worn for the Daily Offices of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, as required in Canon B8 of the Church of England (in the Canon, the word "scarf" is used in reference to the tippet). Stricter low church clergy may wear the tippet and choir dress during any church service, whether Communion is celebrated or not. This follows a practice that was enforced from the Reformation until the late 19th century. By contrast, Anglican Catholics tend not to wear the tippet, often preferring to wear the choir habit of Roman Catholic clergy instead.

 

Clergy who are entitled to wear medals, orders, or awards may fix them to the upper left side of the tippet on suitable occasions (such as Remembrance Sunday).

Sometimes the right end of the tippet is embroidered with the coat of arms of the ecclesiastical institution of which the cleric is a member, but some deplore this usage.

It is common for English cathedral Canons to have the coat of arms of their cathedral embroidered on one or both sides of the tippet.

 

The tippet is a different item from the stole, which although often worn like a scarf is a Eucharistic vestment, usually made of richer material, and varying according to the

liturgical colour of the day.