Clergyman facts for kids
A clergyman is a person who has been officially chosen to lead religious services and guide people in a Christian church. They are often called a minister. This role is common in the Anglican Church and other Protestant churches.
You might hear different names for a clergyman, depending on the church. For example, some are called a vicar or a pastor. In some Scottish Presbyterian churches, they might be called a rector. The word "cleric" is an older term for someone in this role. It comes from a time when most people couldn't read or write, but clerics usually could.
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What is a Clergyman?
A clergyman is someone who has gone through a special process called ordination. This means they have been formally recognized and given authority to perform religious duties. These duties often include leading church services, giving sermons, offering spiritual guidance, and performing ceremonies like weddings or baptisms.
Different Names for Clergymen
The name for a clergyman can change based on the specific Christian church or tradition.
- A minister is a general term for someone who serves a church community.
- A vicar is a type of clergyman, especially in the Anglican Church, who is in charge of a parish (a local church area).
- A pastor is a common term in many Protestant churches. It means "shepherd," showing their role in guiding their congregation.
- A rector is another term used in some churches, similar to a vicar.
The Clergy as a Group
When we talk about "the clergy", we are talking about all the people who hold these religious leadership roles as a group. It's like saying "the teachers" to mean all the people who teach.
Clergymen and Priests
In the past, the term "priest" was mostly used for leaders in the Catholic Church. People generally used "clergyman" or "minister" for leaders in the Anglican Church and other Protestant churches. Today, an Anglican minister can be a man or a woman. If a minister is female, people often use terms like "reverend" or "minister."
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Images for kids
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14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso in 2007
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Bishop Maurício Andrade, primate of the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil, gives a crosier to Bishop Saulo Barros
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Archbishop Jose S. Palma with his assistant ministers during Pontifical High Mass
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Orthodox Christian clergy: bishop (right, at altar), priest (left), and two deacons (in gold)
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Ethiopian Orthodox clergy lead a procession in celebration of Saint Michael
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Lutheran pastor confirming the youth of his congregation
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The Reverend Hans G. Ridderstedt (1919-2007), Assistant Vicar at Stockholm Cathedral
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A Sunni jurist (mufti) delivering a sermon from a pulpit
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Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, a leading Rabbinical authority for Orthodox Jewry
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Sir George Fleming, 2nd Baronet, British churchman.
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Charles Wesley Leffingwell, Episcopal priest
See also
In Spanish: Clero para niños
