General Terms
1. Anglican: An adjective describing the worldwide communion
of autonomous churches in communion with the Church of England. The
Episcopal Church is part of that communion. Anglican can also be a noun,
a member of the Anglican Communion.
2. Apostolic Succession: Episcopalians, along with other
Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Orthodox and some other Christian bodies,
trace their bishops' spiritual heritage in an unbroken line back to the
first apostles of Jesus. The importance of the historic episcopate is a
major point in ecumenical discussions.
3. Book of Common Prayer: The primary guide for worship
in the Episcopal Church. The first Anglican Book of Common Prayer
was written in English in 1549 by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, drawing on
material from a number of Latin books and manuals then used to conduct
services.
4. Canons: The written rules governing church policy,
structure and procedure. There are national canons and each diocese has
its own.
5. Cathedral: A diocese's cathedral is the church where the
bishop makes his headquarters. The city in which the cathedral is
located is the "see city." Some dioceses have no cathedral.
6. Catholic: This word comes from a Greek word meaning
"universal" and may, therefore, be used to apply to all Christians. When
it is used this way, it usually begins with a little c. Sometimes it is
used with a capital C when the writer means the Roman Catholic
Church.
7. Diocese: A diocese is made up of several local
congregations with a bishop as its chief pastor. Since only a bishop can
consecrate other bishops, ordain priests and deacons and confirm, the
diocese is the basic local unit of the church. Depending on the number
of Episcopalians, a state may have one or several dioceses. The
legislative body of the diocese is an annual convention of clergy and
lay deputies from each congregation.
8. Episcopal: An adjective derived from the Greek word,
episkopos, meaning overseer or bishop. Episcopalian is the noun.
Episcopalians attend the Episcopal Church.
9. General Convention: The General Convention is the highest
legislative body of the Episcopal Church. It meets every three years and
is made up of a House of Bishops and a House of Deputies. Half the
deputies are clergy and half lay persons.
10. Lambeth Quadrilateral: In 1888 the world's Anglican
bishops, meeting at Lambeth in England adopted four articles as
essentials in any plan of union with other Christian bodies: The Holy
Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the Apostles' and Nicene
creeds, the sacraments of baptism and holy communion, and the historic
episcopate (see Apostolic Succession).
11. Vestry: Lay members of the vestry are elected at a
parish's annual meeting. The rector presides at meetings of the vestry,
which handles the parish's business matters and serves as a council of
advice for the rector.
Ecclesiastical Titles
1. Bishop: A bishop is a chief minister (servant) or chief
pastor (shepherd) in the Episcopal Church, serving a number of local
churches that make up a diocese. A large diocese may have more than one
bishop. In that case the chief bishop is called the diocesan. Assisting
bishops are usually called suffragan bishops. An assisting bishop who
will succeed the diocesan is a bishop coadjutor. All are addressed as
"bishop."
2. Priest: This word comes from a Greek word, presbyter,
meaning elder. Usually a priest is the chief minister in a local
congregation. Forms of address-father, mother, etc.-depend upon the
priest's preference and local custom.
3. Deacon: A deacon, like a bishop or priest, is an ordained
minister. Deacon comes from the Greek word, diakonos, meaning servant.
Deacons usually serve in local congregations and have a special ministry
to the poor, the sick and the troubled. Deacons are addressed as deacon,
mister, miss, mrs., etc. according to preference or local custom.
4. Minister: This is a Latin word, meaning servant. In the
Episcopal Church lay persons as well as bishops, priests and deacons are
ministers, servants of God, caring for their brothers and sisters in the
church and those outside it.
5. Preacher: Preaching is only one function of the ordained
ministry in the Episcopal Church and so preacher is not an appropriate
synonym for bishop, priest or deacon.
6. Rector/Vicar: The priest in charge of a parish, a
self-supporting church, is the rector. The rector is elected by the
vestry. Assisting priests the rector appoints may be called curate,
assistant or associate. The priest in charge of a mission, supported
financially from outside, is the vicar. The vicar is appointed by the
bishop.
7. Reverend: The Reverend is an appropriate title to precede
the full name of a priest or deacon. The Right Reverend is used for a
bishop. Reverend is an adjective, not a noun, and is incorrectly used
with a last name only, or without the article, the, as in "Reverend
Jones."
Architecture
1. Narthex: The entrance hall, called by some denominations
the vestibule.
2. Nave: The pew area of the church building, where the
congregation sits, stands or kneels during public worship. The nave is
more than an auditorium, where people listen, because worship in the
Episcopal Church involves everyone as participants.
3. Chancel: In classic church design, an area of pews, seats,
stalls or prayer desks set apart from the nave, used by the ministers
leading services and sometimes used by the choir.
4. Sanctuary: The area immediately surrounding the altar,
often enclosed by an altar rail. In some denominations the word refers
to the entire worship space.
Sacraments and Services
1. Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist: The two major
sacraments in the Episcopal Church. In baptism God makes us his
children, members of the church, the Body of Christ. The Episcopal
Church recognizes baptism in other Christian bodies, done with water in
the name of the Trinity. In the Holy Eucharist Episcopalians recall the
saving acts of God and enter communion with Christ and Christians of all
times and places. In this sacrament we are fed spiritually with the Body
and Blood of Christ.
2. Other Sacraments: Confirmation, in which members
make a mature commitment to Christ and receive strength from the Holy
Spirit. Ordination, in which bishops, priests and deacons are
made, receiving authority and grace of the Holy Spirit. Holy
Matrimony, in which woman and man enter a life-long union, receiving
the grace and blessing of God to help them fulfill their vows.
Reconciliation of a Penitent, in which those who repent of their
sins may confess them in the presence of a priest and receive assurance
of pardon and the grace of absolution. Unction of the Sick, the
anointing with oil or laying on of hands by which God's grace is given
for the healing of spirit, mind and body.
3. Other Services: The Book of Common Prayer provides a
variety of services for individual and corporate worship. The most
widely used, other than the Holy Eucharist, the central act of corporate
worship, are Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, both of which may be
used for private devotions or public worship.
Our thanks to Gene Britton who prepared the original
version of this booklet and to Robert Horine and David Sumner who helped
with the revision.
"Episcopal Language" is published by Forward Movement Publications. © Forward
Movement Publications
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