Tuesday, July 28, 2015

What is a Rector? What does a Priest do? What is a Priest? What does a Rector do?

All Rectors are priests, but not all priests are rectors.

Priest in charge vs. Rector
The vestry called the Rev. Dr. Charles Hawkins to be the Priest in charge of St. John’s beginning July 1, 2013 and continuing until June 30, 2015. During the two years of the contract (called a “letter of agreement”) Charles was the ecclesial authority of St. John’s.
The vestry has now called the Rev. Dr. Charles Hawkins to be the Rector of St. John’s. Like “Priest in charge,” the Rector is the ecclesial authority of the parish, but a rector’s contract has no termination date—it is open ended. The rector is said to “have tenure.”
Charles’ day to day duties have not changed with his change of title. His canonical responsibilities remain the same.
The change is simply in the length of the contract between the priest and the parish.

On the Word "Rector"
Episcopalians love obscure vocabulary!  We don’t have a Music Director, we have a Choirmaster.  Likewise we have sextons, vergers, wardens, and a vestry!  So, now that the vestry of St. John’s has called a “Rector”—you might be curious as to what exactly that is!
From An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church by Don Armentrout:  “Rector.  The priest in charge of a parish.  Typically, a rector is the priest in charge of a self-supporting parish, and a vicar is the priest in charge of a supported mission.  The rector is the ecclesiastical authority of the parish.  The term is derived from the Latin for “rule.”  The rector has authority and responsibility for worship and the spiritual jurisdiction of the parish, subject to the rubrics of the BCP, the constitution and canons of the church, and the pastoral direction of the bishop.  The rector is responsible for the selection of all assistant clergy, and they serve at the discretion of the rector.  The church and parish buildings and furnishings are under the rector’s control.  The rector or a member of the vestry designated by the rector presides at all vestry meetings.”

Orders of Ministry
The “orders of ministry” in the Episcopal Church are bishops, priests, deacons, and laity.
There are four orders of ministry recognized by the Episcopal Church.
“Bishop” is from the Greek word episcopos, or “overseer”; “priest” is from the Greek word presbyteros, or “elder”; “deacon” is from the Greek word diakonos, or “servant”; and “lay” comes from the Greek laos, which means “the people.” !
Each order is to be represented in the liturgy each Sunday. In the absence of one or more of the orders (for instance when we have no bishop present) others take their place. For example, when no deacon is present, a priest will introduce the confession of sin, read the gospel, etc.

Bless--What a Priest Does
The first of the three tasks for a priest is to pronounce God’s blessing. You will notice that it is always someone the Church has ordained to the priesthood who pronounces the blessing at the end of Holy Communion.

Celebrate--What a Priest Does
The second of the three tasks for a priest is to celebrate holy eucharist. You will notice it is always someone the Church has ordained to the priesthood who presides at a service of Holy Communion. The presider is called the “celebrant” and what the presider does is “celebrate.”

Absolve--What a Priest Does
The third of the three tasks for a priest is to absolve sin. You will notice that it is always someone the Church has ordained to the priesthood who pronounces the absolution of sin after a confession of sin in our liturgy. !
To bless, to celebrate, and to absolve—the three tasks of priests. All priests, whether Curates, Vicars, Rectors, Associate Rectors, or Assistant Rectors, et al are charged by the Church to do these three tasks.

Ecclesial Authority of a Parish
A rector is the ecclesial authority of a parish (in the same way a bishop is the ecclesial authority of a diocese). There are, however, other names for the ecclesial authority of a parish. Vicar, Parson, or Priest in charge are also titles given to the ecclesial authority of a parish.

"Rector" or "Vicar"?
A Rector is the priest in charge of a parish. In some congregations, the head priest is called a Vicar. The difference is that a congregation with a Rector is a self-supporting congregation and has more say in the choosing of the priest. A congregation with a Vicar is receiving some form of support from the Diocese and the Bishop is primarily responsible for the appointment.

Trivia. Did you know?
Another name for “Rector” is “Parson.” “Parson” comes from “Person in charge;” as in “I need to talk to the person in charge?” In a particular moment in time, if you wanted to conduct business with a parish in England you had to see “the Parson.”
The technical definition of a parson is “an incumbent of a parochial benefice.”
The house a parson lives in is called the “parsonage.” Likewise, the house a rector lives in is called the “rectory.”

Of Bishops, Rectors & Vestries
Canon law in the Episcopal Church is a careful system of checks and balances. Bishops have certain rights and responsibilities. Rectors have certain rights and responsibilities. And, vestries have certain rights and responsibilities.
With regard to the exercise of power within the church, each serves as a check and balance to the other.
The bishop, the rector, and the vestry are partners in the mutual discernment of mission and ministry of the parish.