Objects in the Mirror Are Smaller Than They Appear

http://anglikin.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html#8225412852108804995

[Anglicat] 6 Feb 2008--While thumbing through the 2007 Diocesan Directory, I happened to notice that few of the Episcopal churches here in Minnesota have rectors at their helms. Of the 109-or-so churches listed, only twenty-five, less than 23% of the churches, have rectors. This is quite odd, given that "rector" is the normative designation for a priest given full clerical responsibility for a parish and enjoying the privileges pertaining to that status.

What about the rest of the churches? Only a couple-three can be said to be in a true transitional period with a true interim rector in place making genuine preparation for the hiring of a rector at the end of a presumptively-short interim period. Many have vicars, the term generally used for priests serving churches that are unable to support themselves. Many have "local priests," the designation for ordained persons who, never having attended seminary, may only serve in the churches that raised them up. It is no longer unusual to see no clergy person designated at all; these churches list the name of their organist, parish administrator, treasurer,pastoral care contact, et cetera, where a priest's name used to appear. No longer do the rosters even leave a blank space where the clergy leader used to be designated; perhaps that blank space invited too much attention to this anomalous situation. Lastly, there are many "priests-in-charge." This is a non-canonical designation given to priests who do not enjoy full status as rectors of the churches they serve.