Derrick+:
Most of us, not all, discourage female Lay Readers, Lectors, Acolytes, and
Ushers because it is not fair to lead them in a direction they will not be
permitted to go. In the medevile church all these positions were steps to
holy orders. So, why start tem on the path they cannot complete just to be
contemporary and fasionable?
Bill+
----- Original Message -----
From: Rev. Dr. Derrick Hassert
To: faithandlife@...
Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2006 6:34 PM
Subject: Re: [FaithandLife] AMIA and WOMENS ROLES
The following are the canons of the REC pertaining to Lay Readers, Lectors,
Acolytes, and Ushers. The comparable canons of the APA have an identical
discussion of Lay Readers, but do not address Lectors, Acolytes, or Ushers.
DH+
(a) Lay Readers. A competent person ready and desirous to serve the church
in
the public services statedly as a Lay Reader must procure from the Bishop or
Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese or Missionary Diocese a written
license. Such license shall not be granted to any but a male communicant of
this Church who has attained the age of eighteen years, and must be given
for a definite period, not longer than three years, and may be renewed from
time to time, or revoked at any time. Such license may be given for any
vacant Parish or Mission, or for a Congregation without a Minister, but
where a Presbyter is in charge, his request and recommendation must have
been previously signified to the
Ecclesiastical Authority. A license shall not be granted for conducting the
service in a
congregation without a Minister, which is able and has had reasonable
opportunity to secure the services of an ordained Minister. If the Lay
Reader be a student in any Theological Seminary, he shall also, before
acting as such, obtain the permission of the presiding officer of such
institution and of his own Bishop.
Section 1 (b) A Lay Reader shall be subject to the regulations prescribed by
the
Ecclesiastical Authority, and shall not serve in any Diocese other than that
in which he is licensed, unless he shall have received a license from the
Bishop of the Diocese in which he desires to serve.
Section 1 (c) In all matters relating to the conduct of the service, and the
Sermons or
Homilies to be read, he shall conform to the directions of the Minister in
charge of the Parish, Congregation, or Mission in which he is serving, and,
in all cases, to the directions of the Bishop. He shall read only the
Morning and Evening Prayer (omitting the Absolution), the Litany, and the
Office for the Burial of the Dead. He shall not deliver sermons or addresses
of his own composition, unless, after instruction and examination, he be
specially licensed thereto for urgent needs by the Bishop. He shall not wear
the dress appropriate to Clergymen ministering in the Congregation.
Section 1(d) A Lay Reader may, with the consent of the Bishop, be licensed
to the
extraordinary ministry of Lay Communion Visitor. In every such case, the
Minister in charge shall certify, in writing, to the Bishop that such
ministry is needed for the proper pastoral care of the communicants of the
parish, mission, or community ministry in which he is to serve, and shall
cite the reasons for requesting such licensure. Such licensure shall be
granted in such cases only for the express purpose of visitation of the
sick, infirm, shut ins or institutionalized persons in the parish and
permission to engage in such ministry shall be reviewed annually. The
ministry of Lay Communion Vistior is not to be seen as normative, but as an
exceptional solution to a problem arising out of genuine need, such as a
severe clergy shortage, physical handicap, or disability on the part of the
clergy, or from geographic
isolation.. The convience of the Rector is not to be deemed a sufficient
need in and of itself to license a Lay Reader to this extraordinary
ministry.
38
Section 1 (e) The responsibility for the proper handling and reservation of
the sacramental elements in this and in all other cases rest with the
supervising Presbyter.
Section 1 (f) A Lay Reader may, at the request of the Minister in Charge,
who shall declare a need for such ministry in writing, be licensed by the
Bishop as a Lay Cup Bearer, and when so licensed, may assist in the
distribution of the Cup, but only in the presence of and under the
supervision of the supervising Minister.
Section 2 (a) Lay Lectors and Other Lay Ministries. The Rector of any parish
may
appoint such persons as he shall deem qualified and fit to serve in the
capacity of Lay
Lector, Acolyte, Usher or similar ministry . Such persons shall serve in
their various
capacities at the pleasure of the Rector and remain under his authority.
Section 2 (b) Lay Lectors must be communicants of this Church, at least
sixteen years of age, given to godly conversation and regular attendance at
Divine Services.
Section 2 (c) Duty of Lay Lectors. Such persons as may be appointed Lay
Lectors may be permitted to read the First and Second Lessons at Morning
Prayer and any reading from the Old Testament or the Epistles at the Holy
Communion. Lay Lectors may not read the Gospel at Holy Communion nor may
they officiate or lead public worship.
Section 2 (d) Limitations Lay Lectors may not preach nor exercise the
extraordinary
ministry of Lay Communion Visitor or conduct public worship by serving as
the officiant at Morning or Evening Prayer.
"Rev. Dr. Derrick Hassert" <cranmerandlaud@...> wrote:
Per the canons of the Reformed Episcopal Church, only a male may serve as a
lay reader. The canons pertaining to lectors say that the person must be a
communicant in good standing (as memory serves).
DH+
cranmer@... wrote:
My only restriction is the Altar and the Pulpit (to do anything more is to
demean the priesthood i.m.h.o.) - I have female acolytes, lectors (not Lay
Readers, mind you) and choir members...the women at St. George serve in many
areas including the Altar Guild (which we treat as most important - we even
have a special service at which time certain vows are taken), a very vibrant
women's Bible Study, Sunday School instruction, instruction at Retreats (for
instance a woman who has a doctorate will be teaching at our upcoming
Spiritual Gifts restreat) etc. I also counsel together with my Deaconess if
it is a a woman or a married couple I am counselling (I NEVER counsel alone
anymore) and she also counsels women. There are other areas such as the
library, office, nursery, kitchen, building and grounds, missions,
communications and publicity, all of which are not exclusively from either
sex...
J.+
>
> From: charles scott
> Date: 2006/08/17 Thu PM 01:22:39 EDT
> To: faithandlife@...
> Subject: [FaithandLife] AMIA and WOMENS ROLES
>
> Fr. David+
>
> Good to hear from you. I was afraid you might have
> been smothered by the avalanche of email that started
> with your question last week.
>
> I'm not aware of any arrangements with AMIA.
>
> Now that you've brought up women's roles, I had to
> face that challenge again at Good Shepherd. A person
> (male) who occasionally attends wrote to me and some
> other members about our chauvinist attitudes and
> argued we should allow women to be ordained.
>
> This forced me into a position being clear in two
> regards: why the male priesthood and how women can
> participate in the priesthood referred to in the NT.
> The title of the article was, "Jesus is No
> Chauvinist."
>
> Thanks to Fr Johann and the rest of you who have
> written eloquently on this subject the last 5 years, I
> had some material at hand to draw from in regard to
> male priesthood. We know well what women may not do
> and our people know as well.
>
> However, there is little to glean in our archives
> regarding what women may do. Frankly, I'm chagrined
> about how women have been discouraged from doing much
> besides the altar and charity at Good Shepherd. A 20+
> year tradition of not encouraging female leadership
> has limited the church.
>
> I was singed by some flame throwers when I commented
> here on I Cor 14:34 a few years ago; my hair is still
> a bit thin.
>
> Anyone having an asbestos suit care to exercise
> careful exegesis and comment on how women may fulfill
> their priesthood (I Peter 2:9)?
>
> Charles+
> Church of the Good Shepherd, Indianapolis
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- Stlukesangch@... wrote:
>
> > Dear Brothers,
> > Can someone update me as to whether or not the AMIA
> > is officially part of the Anglican Federation which
> includes APA and the REC ? If it is then does it
> mean we are in full communion with them ? What is
> the position they have finally arrived at on women in
> the diaconate, or are they still deciding ?
> > Thanks,
> >
> > David +
> >
>
> --
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>
>
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