The survey indicated that the respondents agreed with the regulations that candidates for the ministry of Reader should be selected for their spiritual qualities and potential to minister in a distinct lay ministry. In addition the distribution of Readers by length of service suggested that at least 55% of the Readers in the survey have been selected under the latest regulations.

There were however a significant number of comments in the e-mail discussion that weaknesses in the selection process leads to the selection of candidates who had neither the calling or the qualities needed for Reader ministry which can result in Reader ministry being discredited. In particular there were a number of negative comments about bishops' selectors who offered Reader ministry as a consolation prize to candidates who failed to be selected for the ordained ministry.

These criticisms may however represent the extremes of experience because the evidence gained by acting as an observer at a selection conference and by having a discussion with a group of potential candidates revealed that the majority of them had a clear sense of a calling to a preaching and teaching ministry, although there were also some indications that some of them had not fully understood the nature of Reader ministry and that others were considering Reader ministry because of the unavailability of a suitable accredited lay ministry in other areas such as pastoral care.