TITLES IN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH - DR. GIL HAAS

Deans (addressed as “The Very Reverend”) are incumbents (having the primary pastoral and administrative responsibility) for cathedrals, schools, or several parishes called a deanery.  Rectors are priests (“The Reverend”) who are incumbents of parishes, while the term parson is a colloquial term applied to any clergy.  A curate is the priest or deacon (“The Reverend Deacon”) who is the incumbent’s assistant.  A vicar is the incumbent of either a missionary parish or a chapel in a hospital, airport, or other location.   A priest-in-charge has the temporary responsibility of incumbent.  A canon (“The Reverend Canon”) is an honorary title conferred upon clergy for faithful service.  In the Church of England, archdeacons (the Venerable) are priests or deacons who are given special responsibilities by their bishop.  Bishop coadjutors (“The Right Reverend” for life) have been appointed to assist a diocesan bishop (“The Right Reverend”), and they become diocesan bishop upon the bishop’s retirement.  Suffragan bishops are similar but without automatically becoming the next bishop.  Our Presiding Bishop (“The Most Reverend”) is the Episcopal parallel to Anglican archbishops.  Within the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s title is “The Most Reverend and Right Honorable the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury."

​~Dr. Gil Haas