Verger

Worshipping in Christian faith through Anglican tradition, love, and service.

The
Episcopal Church USA

505 Calvert Avenue
Clinton, South Carolina 29325
864/833-1388

The Diocese of
Upper South Carolina

A Verger?
Did You Say a Verger?
What’s a Verger?

(Adapted from the web site of the
Verger’s Guild of the Episcopal Church)

If you have ever been to a service in an English church, you have seen vergers. They are the ones you see carrying a strange stick (a verge) and leading the processions during the church services. They are the ones in the black vestments you see wandering around the church when you visit a church at a time when no services are scheduled. Beyond that you may not see the other important work they do.

The Verger as Minister. Vergers are committed lay ministers in the Church who assist the rector in the planning and conduct of public worship, especially in the marshaling of processions. Their duties may be purely ceremonial or they may include other responsibilities such as working closely with the altar guild, the chalice bearers, the acolytes, and others who have worship-service responsibilities in order to assure that a service, particularly a special service of some sort, runs smoothly with the meaningfulness, beauty, and dignity that the service deserves.

The Verger's Origins. The office of verger has its roots in the earliest days of Anglican history. In earlier years vergers were responsible for the order of the house of worship, including preparations for the liturgy, the conduct of the laity, the care of the church building, and often grave-digging. They led processions holding their verge (a device akin to the battle mace) to discourage animals and unruly folk from interfering with the processions.

The Verger Today. Although modern vergers no longer dig graves or have to deal with animals and unruly folk, the office has evolved into a ministry that clergy throughout the Episcopal Church have come to appreciate within their congregations. Vergers often relieve the clergy of the burden of liturgical detail so that they can concentrate on their priestly duties to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments. No longer found primarily in cathedrals and large parishes, vergers are assets to small churches as well.

The Verge. The verge is a staff that a verger carries in procession. The name comes from the Latin virga, which simply means a rod or staff; hence, a verger is one who carries a staff. The verge has a history originating in the ceremonial maces carried before civic and ecclesiastical dignitaries. The Maces of State used in the House of Lords and the House of Commons of the British Parliament as well as the maces carried in academic processions in colleges and universities both in Great Britain and in the United States are examples of other modern uses of the medieval symbols. Originally a weapon used to clear the way for processions, the verge's use is now principally honorific.

The Verger’s Vestments. The basic vestment of a verger is a black cassock or a white alb. In some places, especially cathedrals, the cassock or alb may be of another color. Over the cassock or alb, when performing a ceremonial function, the verger wears a sleeveless gown somewhat resembling a bishop’s chimere.

Verging is a strictly Anglican form of lay ministry. One seldom finds it practiced in other branches of the Church. Anglicanism, however, has found it to be a very useful ministry, and Episcopal churches all over the United States are using vergers more and more often to enrich the planning and execution of the rites and ceremonies of the Church. Several vergers practice their ministries in churches in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina as well as the Diocese of South Carolina: Grace Church in Anderson, Grace Church in Camden, and Grace Church in Charleston, to name but three.

Prayer for Vergers
and the
Vergers Guild of the Episcopal Church

(From the web site of the Vergers Guild of the Episcopal Church)

Almighty God, you equipped your prophet Moses and Aaron his brother with swords to guard and guide your chosen people to the Promised Land: Pour down Your blessing, we pray, upon the Vergers' Guild of the Episcopal Church and all vergers. Grant them grace to honor the trust of those whom they serve, strength to faithfully and reverently perform the duties of their office, and a fervent love and devotion to the worship of your Holy and Undivided Trinity; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Verge picture above from the Vergers Guild web page)