Clergy and High Priest/ess

[MorningDove030202]

I'be been exploring what it means to be Clergy, and what it is that a Clergyperson does..... And I've realized that there are almost like two differnt types of Clergy, or like two different job descriptions that could both be called "clergy".

You have those that lead a coven (a HP or HPS) and you also have people who do the hospital visitations, the handfastings, the prison ministry, those leading a Pagan oriented AA program, etc.

Now, I'm sure the HP/S Clergy also do a bit of the latter, but I feel that one could be Clergy without having a coven and being a HP or HPS. You could just be a Non Denominational (or interdenominational) Clergy doing the hospital visiting, prision ministiry type stuff. You don't realy have to have coven or be a leader in of a coven to do the other. Infact if you wanted to focus on the hospital, prision ministry, pagan AA stuff, you might not want to also be leading a coven.

So let me ask all of you..... do you think you can be clergy without leading a coven (or even being in one at all)?

BTW, I found a great web site on Pagan Pastorial Care:

http://www.paganpastoraloutreach.ca/

It's a good example of the types of things I would like to do as clergy.

Dove

[tensen]

I think so... but then again I fall into the particular group as such.
I don't run a regular group. Although I do work with a group of solitaries and could be considered their leader. I don't consider myself a HP. But I do most of the other functions of clergy.

[DebLipp]

There are, in fact, lots of different ways of defining clergy. The only real clear definition is that you be ordained, which, since some religions allow self-ordination, isn't clear.

You can be clergy if you lead a congregation, including a coven or Pagan worship group.

You can be clergy if you do certain kinds of teaching. In BTW, a HPS or HP might be specifically leading a coven to train people to themselves become HPs and HPSs; it's a study group more than a congregation. The word "rabbi" means "teacher" and the job is not to lead a congregation so much as to teach.

You can be clergy is you have a non-localized ministry. Hospital and prison visits would be included in that. You minister to disparate individuals and function as their clergy but do not have a congregation.

Similarly, you might have a politically activist ministry; running a soup kitchen, organizing activists, fighting oppression.

You can be clergy by representing clergy interests in a social or political way, i.e. by serving as a religious issues advisor to a governmental body.

You can be an ordained member of a contemplative order, i.e. a monk, and never even see people outside your order.

[MorningDove030202]

Ya, I'm in the process of starting an in person study circle for the Correllian First Degree lessons, and that could be considered a coven..... (but not an offical Correllian Coven, least not yet). I have to explain though, in the Correllian Tradition, you can do their corespondence/online lessons and become clergy with out being in a coven. You are working with a mentor, but it's like being a "Solitary Clergy". So you can be working with in the framework of a larger organization (The Correllian Tradition of Wicca), without having a local branch of that organization (A Correllian Shrine or Temple). Though my mentor is co-leader of the nearest temple, in DC, so I do have a regional connection...

The idea of having a coven comprized mainly of Clergypersons who want to do the job of clergy, pastoral care and what not, would be VERY cool, in my opinion. I could see us as a team of Clergy holding open rituals, doing educational talks at the library, writing letters to the newspaper, and showing up at interfaith events, officaly signing up with our hospital as Pagan Clergy, setting up a pagan library, being pen pals with inmates, supporting the PPD, performing handfastings, Wiccanings, and Funerals ...... That would be very cool. Perhapse even an interfaith team, not just Correllians... a team of Wiccan Clergy from many traditions....

Dove

[MorningDove030202]

There are, in fact, lots of different ways of defining clergy. The only real clear definition is that you be ordained, which, since some religions allow self-ordination, isn't clear.

You can be clergy if you lead a congregation, including a coven or Pagan worship group.

You can be clergy if you do certain kinds of teaching. In BTW, a HPS or HP might be specifically leading a coven to train people to themselves become HPs and HPSs; it's a study group more than a congregation. The word "rabbi" means "teacher" and the job is not to lead a congregation so much as to teach.

You can be clergy is you have a non-localized ministry. Hospital and prison visits would be included in that. You minister to disparate individuals and function as their clergy but do not have a congregation.

Similarly, you might have a politically activist ministry; running a soup kitchen, organizing activists, fighting oppression.

You can be clergy by representing clergy interests in a social or political way, i.e. by serving as a religious issues advisor to a governmental body.

You can be an ordained member of a contemplative order, i.e. a monk, and never even see people outside your order.

Yes! Exactly! Clergy doesn't just mean leader of a coven, it can be much more than that... This is a new realization for me.....so you will have to excuse me if I get over enthuiastic....

Dove

[Ben Trismegistus]

Yes! Exactly! Clergy doesn't just mean leader of a coven, it can be much more than that... This is a new realization for me.....so you will have to excuse me if I get over enthuiastic....
Yes, but it DOES require being a leader of a sort. A clergyperson is still a spiritual leader whether he has a congregation or not.

[MorningDove030202]

Yes, but it DOES require being a leader of a sort. A clergyperson is still a spiritual leader whether he has a congregation or not.


Oh, most definatly true!

Dove