Changes

== Deacons and vestrymen today ==

== Deacons and vestrymen today ==

These two parallel understandings of the office of deacon persist today. The [[Church of England]], under the leadership of King [[Henry VIII]], retained all the hierarchical forms of the Roman Catholic Church from which it had broken away. The [[Lutheran Church]], the [[Reformation]] equivalent in continental [[Europe]], retained little of that structure. The modern [[Baptist Church]] retains ''no'' such structure, because it never had it. Thus only the hierarchical churches have the extended apprenticeship program for priests that the diaconate has come to mean in those churches.

These two parallel understandings of the office of deacon persist today. The [[Church of England]], under the leadership of King [[Henry VIII]], retained all the hierarchical forms of the Roman Catholic Church from which it had broken away. The [[Lutheran Church]], the [[Reformation]] equivalent in continental [[Europe]], retained little of that structure. The modern [[Baptist Church]] retains ''no'' such structure, because it never had it. Thus only the hierarchical churches have the extended apprenticeship program for priests that the diaconate has come to mean in those churches. Yet both kinds of church recognize the need for a function performed by laymen.

Yet both kinds of church recognize the need for a function performed by laymen. In the Baptist Church, such men are still called deacons and perform the same function that deacons in the early church once performed. Typically a pastor, or a committee of long-standing members answering to the pastor, will nominate deacons who shall take office upon confirmation by election of the membership. Some churches might hold multiple rounds of deacon elections, with the first election serving as a sort of informal nominating convention in which a member may "nominate" anyone he wishes. The usual term of office of a deacon is three years, and a deacon would at the end of that time not be re-eligible for another year.

=== Election and term of office ===

In the Baptist Church, such men are still called deacons and perform the same function that deacons in the early church once performed. Typically a pastor, or a committee of long-standing members answering to the pastor, will nominate deacons who shall take office upon confirmation by election of the membership. Some churches might hold multiple rounds of deacon elections, with the first election serving as a sort of informal nominating convention in which a member may "nominate" anyone he wishes. The usual term of office of a deacon is three years, and a deacon would at the end of that time not be re-eligible for another year.

In hierarchical churches, including the [[Anglican Communion]] (and in [[America]], the [[Episcopal Church]]), these lay ministries persist, though under a different name: the '''vestry'''. An individual belonging to the vestry is called a '''vestryman''' (or a vestry-woman). The vestry typically has a '''senior warden''' as its head and often a '''junior warden''' as deputy to the senior warden.

In hierarchical churches, including the [[Anglican Communion]] (and in [[America]], the [[Episcopal Church]]), these lay ministries persist, though under a different name: the '''vestry'''. An individual belonging to the vestry is called a '''vestryman''' (or a vestry-woman). The vestry typically has a '''senior warden''' as its head and often a '''junior warden''' as deputy to the senior warden.

In both churches, the function is the same. Deacons (or vestrymen) generally handle all the "business" functions of the church. These include:

In both churches, the function is the same. Deacons (or vestrymen) generally handle all the "business" functions of the church. These include: