5.4 The Reader and baptism.

It has been the policy in some parishes to allow Readers to conduct the Baptism service. The matter has been a subject of much debate and there was some criticism in the e-mail discussion of the failure of the church to officially allow Readers to baptise. The current position is that whilst Baptisms carried out by Readers are considered to be valid, the conducting of a baptism service is considered to be an inappropriate function for Readers. However a minority of 48% of respondents considered teaching the parents of infants to be baptised and the adult baptismal candidates to be one of the Reader's primary functions.