Communities of Faith SECTION A The rector


In the Church of Ireland, a priest is called a rector. In the Church of England, a priest is called a vicar. The rector’s duties include:


ò Celebrating the sacraments. ò Looking after the needs of his/her parishioners.


Anyone who wishes to become a rector must study at the Church of Ireland Theological College in Rathgar, Dublin. The title ‘deacon’ is given to someone training to be a rector.


The laity


As in all the other Christian churches, members of the laity play a vital role in the Church of Ireland. They may:


ò Participate in Sunday worship through prayer, hymn- singing, reflecting on the Bible readings and receiving the Eucharist.


ò Become a lay reader, i.e. be trained to preach and lead at prayer services.


ò Be elected by their fellow parishioners to the Select Vestry, i.e. the group responsible for running a parish. These elections are held each year at Easter.


ò Be elected to the House of Representatives of the General Synod.


The General Synod The General Synod has two parts:


1. The House of Bishops – with twelve members. 2. The House of Representatives – with 216 clerical members and 432 lay members. All are elected by the people of their dioceses. They hold office for a three-year period.


Both houses come together to discuss important issues at the General Synod. The archbishop of Armagh acts as its president (or chairperson). He is expected to accept its decisions and implement them.


The Lambeth Conference


Every ten years, all the bishops of the Anglican Communion gather at the Lambeth Conference in London. This meeting is chaired (i.e. guided but not controlled) by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Important moral and religious issues are discussed at the Lambeth Conference. The bishops try to reach an agreement on what the Anglican Communion should teach about them.


However, the Anglican Communion is made up of independent churches. They do not automatically have to accept the statements of the Lambeth Conference. These statements must be debated by the General Synod of each member church. Then


they can vote to either accept or reject the statements of the Lambeth Conference. 79


The Church of Ireland ordains both men and


women to the priesthood. They are free to marry and have a family.


The Most Revd Pat Storey, Church of Ireland Bishop of Meath and Kildare.


The General Synod is the


Church of Ireland’s chief decision-making body. It meets in May each year.


© Paul Harron - Church of Ireland Press Office


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