Churchwarden

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church of the Anglican Communion. Holders of these positions are leading members of the parish board, usually called a Vestry, parish council, or parochial church council. Historically, wardens are of two types. The people's warden(s) (and assistants, if any) are elected annually by the congregation as a whole (at what is called the Annual Vestry Meeting). The rector's warden(s) (and assistants, if any), are appointed by the priest incumbent. However, this distinction has been abolished in several areas of the Anglican Communion - notably in England.

In some jurisdictions (but not in England) where a parish temporarily has no priest, is not self-supporting, or in which the parish board has been dissolved, wardens are appointed directly by the bishop and are called "bishop's wardens."

The canons of some US dioceses permit or mandate the election of all wardens, in which case they are usually referred to as the "senior warden" and the "junior warden." Wardens serve for a fixed term, normally one to two years, and are usually automatically members of the parish canonical committee and sometimes automatically delegates to the diocesan synod, as well.

In co-operation with the priest in charge (or, in cases of vacancy, the bishop), wardens are generally responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the parish. These responsibilities include various aspects of administration, plant operations, and personnel. In this capacity,wardens are considered the leading lay member of the congregation, and, during the incumbency of a priest, may have varying duties and responsibilities according to the customs of the parish, the canons of the diocese to which the parish belongs, the desires of the priest, and the direction of the parish board and/or the congregation as a whole.

The only areas in which wardens almost always have no authority, often proscribed by canon, is music and liturgy, which is considered to be under the exclusive authority of the priest or bishop in charge of the parish. Nevertheless in England churchwardens have authority to officiate at Morning and Evening Prayer if a priest or liscensed lay person is unavailable.

Churchwardens are usually part-time volunteers.

A "Churchwarden" is also a style of tobacco pipe, identifiable by its unusually long stem.