APRIL , 2021
PARSON , VICAR , OR RECTOR By : Liese Sherwood-Fabré
Victorian literature may refer to men of the cloth as “ p a r s o n s , ” “ v i c a r s , ” “ rectors ,” and occasionally , “ priests .” While these appear interchangeable , such titles did indicate differences in positions in the 1800s . The first three all indicated Anglican clergy , while a “ priest ” was used to designate for Catholic or foreign ministers .
The Church of England ( Anglican ) was , and continues to be , the established , or state , church in Britain . The British monarch serves as the church ’ s Supreme Governor and promises to maintain the Church during his or her coronation oath . Below the King or Queen , the church is run by two Archbishops
( one in the north , York , and one in the south , Canterbury ) who oversee forty-three dioceses headed by bishops , which , in turn , are divided into archdeaconries and then into deaneries , which cover a group of parishes . In other words , for everyone in England , there is a parish church and a rector or vicar . ( 1 ) The two Archbishops and twenty-four of the bishops also serve in the House of Lords and are responsible for such civic responsibilities as state weddings , funerals , and coronations .
Although the duties are the same , whether a local churchman is a “ vicar ” or a “ rector ” depends on how their salary is funded . Vicars are paid through tithes on major crops collected and managed by a lay corporation or individual . Rectors receive tithes directly . In addition to the tithes , the rector or vicar also has a “ glebe ”— a piece of land he can farm or lease out . ( 2 ) Such position and funds are for life , and , as such , those with more lucrative resources are highly desirable and quite competitive and go to the candidate with the best patronage and connections . ( 3 ) While ordination usually occurs around age twenty -three , an appointment rarely comes at this age , and those seeking a parish often have to wait to marry until a post opens . ( 4 )
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