WARDENS AND OTHER TITLES
Last week we talked about Licensed Lay Ministries This week we are going to learn about some of the other titles for lay people that you hear all the time and others that may not be quite so familiar.
Let’s start with vestry. The definition of vestry is a room or building attached to a church used as an office and for changing into vestments. This is how we got the name of our board of directors since they would meet in the vestry. In the Episcopal Church the vestry consists of nine to fifteen persons elected by the members for a three year term. At one time only men could serve on vestry and in many churches the position was passed down from generation to generation. This tended to keep the control of the church in the hands of a few wealthy families for many years. Today the vestry is open to everyone and many churches, like ours, includes a youth member. The vestry also includes the Sr. Warden, Jr. Warden, Vestry Clerk, and Treasurer. These are appointed positions to the vestry.
Although the canons of the Episcopal Church offer little guidance to the roles of the Senior and Junior Wardens, they are both very important to the life of the parish. The Sr. Warden or sometimes known as the rectors warden is appointed by the rector and approved by the vestry. The Jr. Warden or peoples warden is chosen and elected by the vestry. The only specific duty assigned to the Wardens in the national canons is to notify the bishop when a parish is without a rector. The wardens can be elected members of vestry or be appointed from the ranks of the members in good standing of the parish.
Acolyte comes from the Greek word meaning “to follow” ; a lay liturgical assistant (often but not necessarily a youth) who serves in such various roles as crucifer, torchbearer, banner bearer, book bearer, candle lighter , and server.
Thurifer is a person who carries the thurible but what is a thurible. It is the vessel in which incense is burned, it can also be called a censer. It is usually used as part of a high church service and then only in larger churches or cathedrals. We have tried it here a few times but it tends to set our smoke alarms off. That may be why it is sometimes referred to as the holy smoker.
Did you hear about the Sacristan who bought to many cottas and now has a surplice. Sorry, very old joke! The sacristan is the person who is charge of the sacristy, in most churches this would be another name for the head of the altar guild but there are a few places where the sacristan is like the stage manager of the church. They oversee a staff that would include the altar guild, acolytes, vergers and ushers.
A verger by any other name is still a verger. Serving under the leadership of the Rector, the verger could be a sacristan, sexton, acolyte master, head usher, door keeper, protector, grave digger and many more. Many people are doing the work of a verger and do not know it. We were asked by the verger’s guild to come up with a description of a verger in as few words as possible. One person wrote that the verger was the “concierge of the church” and another wrote “as a butler is to his master’s house, a verger is the butler to the house of the master”.
Next week a walk through the Church.