Authority.
So one of the things you’ll learn is that I am pretty un-Anglican in my Anglican-ness. The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian community in the world (the others of the ‘Big 3’ being Roman Catholicism and all the flavors of the Orthodox church). There is a lot of drama in the AC right now, and admittedly I don’t follow it too closely. People regularly ask me, ‘did you read this blog? did you hear about what that bishop said?’ The answer is almost always, no. My main concern is pastoring our little church in Arlington (and playing soccer with my kids, a date night with Laurel…). It takes a lot of time.
But we are an Anglican church. There are going to be people who think that’s great AND there will be people who wish the ‘A’ stood for something else. I’m cool with that. We will always be a mixed group. 🙂
One of the features of Anglicanism is that we are a connected system of churches who are under the authority of a bishop. I actually think the Anglican system of polity (good word meaning: governance, leadership authority, hierarchy, who makes the rules, who makes the decisions, etc) is very good because it provides a healthy restraint of checks and balances. In our local church, Restoration will have a vestry— a team of elders made up of men and women who have the authority to hire and fire the Rector (that’s me), must approve our budget and spending decisions, and provide (with the Rector) spiritual covering for the church. They are put there by appointment and by election from the membership of the church. The vestry receives its authority from our Bishop, Dave Bena. He is the one who installs the vestry and who installs the Rector. After my personal submission to Jesus, I am accountable to two different authorities: my bishop, and the vestry. That diffusion of power is good for the church and catalyzes healthy conversation and decision-making.
Bishops can make people nervous because it seems like a lot of power in the hands of one man. But the office is consistently talked about in the New Testament. Bishops (episcopos) and Elders (presbyters) are both provided by God to bring order to the functioning of the church. The power is shared at the local level with the vestry and the Rector. Those three working together creates a powerful synergy.
Tomorrow: how does confirmation play into all of this?
February 10, 2009 @ 4:01 pm
Thanks for the post. As someone not raised Anglican and unfamiliar with the terminology, this quick synopsis is really helpful. Other questions of practicality: Are their term lengths and term limits for the vestry? Do these differ from church to church?
February 10, 2009 @ 4:53 pm
David, what a fascinating and wonderful part of our tradition. One question: a Rector is the head of a parish church. As a mission church — at least for the moment — doesn’t that make you a Vicar?
February 11, 2009 @ 10:54 am
Great questions guys. There are term limits. Usually it is a three year term (monthly meetings), with a third of the vestry rotating off each year. We will need to determine how that works with everyone starting at the same time.
Technically, I am still an Assistant Rector at The Falls Church (my old job title and the folks who are still paying my salary). When we have our own vestry (probably at the end of 2009), we will install them and install me as the Rector. Until that time, we are under the gracious oversight of The Falls Church vestry.
February 11, 2009 @ 10:58 am
Rector: from the Latin ‘regere’: to rule. In the American church a rector is a priest who is the chief clergyman over a self-supporting congregation (important characteristic). Parishes have rectors; missions have vicars. The only determinant is whether the church pays its own way or gets help from an outside body (in our case, The Falls Church). So, yes, technically I am a vicar until Sept 1, 2009 when we are totally on our own.
February 20, 2009 @ 2:44 pm
What about deacons?
February 21, 2009 @ 2:18 pm
Deacons (diakanoi) are a well-attested New Testament office. Traditionally they have been a bridge between the church and the needs of the world. They are servers who practically give their time to those who are vulnerable, marginalized, and outside the church. Symbolically, deacons normally read the Gospel during the service, which captures this good news bridge between church and world.
We actually have 2 kinds of deacons:
1. the vocational diaconate are deacons who normally have non-church jobs but they choose to enter ordained service as a bridge between leadership in the church and service in their community.
2. The transitional diaconate are men and women who are in the track for ordination to presbyter (elder, priest). They serve for 6 months as deacons before being ordained.
Great question, Darcey!
June 14, 2010 @ 10:22 pm
what is the church’s stance on women in the vestry/ordination of women? can you explain it to me?
June 15, 2010 @ 8:53 am
Thanks for asking Dylan. Recognizing that there are Biblically sound arguments on both sides of this issue, Restoration affirms the ordination of women to the diaconate and the presbyterate (to be priests). We also affirm the full participation of women as elders/vestry members.