The Reverend is an
honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian
clergy
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
and
ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. ''The Reverend'' is correctly called a ''style'' but is often and in some dictionaries called a
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
, form of address, or title of respect.
The style is also sometimes used by leaders in other religions such as
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
and
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
.
The term is an
anglicisation
Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...
of the Latin ''reverendus'', the style originally used in Latin documents in medieval Europe. It is the gerundive or future passive participle of the verb ''revereri'' ("to respect; to revere"), meaning "
ne who is
NE, Ne or ne may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Neutral Evil, an alignment in the American role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons''
* New Edition, an American vocal group
* Nicomachean Ethics, a collection of ten books by Greek philosopher A ...
to be revered/must be respected". ''The Reverend'' is therefore equivalent to ''The Honourable'' or ''The Venerable''. It is paired with a modifier or noun for some offices in some religious traditions:
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
archbishops,
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
archbishops, and most
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
bishops are usually styled ''The Most Reverend''
[ (''reverendissimus''); other Lutheran bishops, Anglican bishops, and Catholic bishops are styled ''The Right Reverend''.
With Christian clergy, the forms ''His Reverence'' and ''Her Reverence'' are also sometimes used, along with their parallel in direct address, ''Your Reverence''.] The abbreviation ''HR'' is sometimes used.
Usage
In traditional and formal English usage it is still considered incorrect to drop the definite article, ''the'', before ''Reverend''. In practice, however, ''the'' is often not used in both written and spoken English. When the style is used within a sentence, ''the'' is correctly in lower-case. The usual abbreviations for ''Reverend'' are ''Rev.'', ''Revd'' and ''Rev'd''.
''The Reverend'' is traditionally used as an adjectival form with first names (or initials) and surname (e.g. ''The Reverend John Smith'' or ''The Reverend J. F. Smith''); ''The Reverend Father Smith'' or ''The Reverend Mr Smith'' are correct though now old-fashioned uses. Use of the prefix with the surname alone (''The Reverend Smith'') is considered a solecism
A solecism is a phrase that transgresses the rules of grammar. The term is often used in the context of linguistic prescription; it also occurs descriptively in the context of a lack of idiomaticness.
Etymology
The word originally was used by ...
in traditional usage: it would be as irregular as calling the person in question "The Well-Respected Smith". In some countries, especially Britain, Anglican clergy are acceptably addressed by the title of their office, such as ''Vicar
A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...
'', ''Rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
'', or ''Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...
''.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, it has been increasingly common for ''reverend'' to be used as a noun and for clergy to be referred to as being either ''a reverend'' or ''the reverend'' (''I talked to the reverend about the wedding service.'') or to be addressed as ''Reverend'' or, for example, ''Reverend Smith'' or ''the Reverend Smith''. This has traditionally been considered grammatically incorrect on the basis that it is equivalent to referring to a judge as being ''an honourable'' or an adult man as being ''a mister''.
Although it is formally an incorrect use of the term, ''Reverend'' is sometimes used alone, without a name, as a reference to a member of the clergy and treated as a normal English noun requiring a definite or indefinite article (e.g. ''We spoke to the reverend yesterday.''). It is likewise incorrect to form the plural ''Reverends''. Some dictionaries, however, do place the noun rather than the adjective as the word's principal form, owing to an increasing use of the word as a noun among people with no religious background or knowledge of traditional styles of ecclesiastical address. When several clergy are referred to, they are often styled individually (e.g. ''The Reverend John Smith and the Reverend Henry Brown''); but in a list of clergy, ''The Revv'' is sometimes put before the list of names, especially in the Catholic Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
In some churches, especially Protestant churches in the United States, ordained ministers are often addressed as ''Pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
'' (as in ''Pastor John'' or ''Pastor Smith''). ''Pastor'', however, is considered more correct in some churches when the minister in question is the head of a church or congregation. Some Protestant churches style their male ministers ''The Reverend Mister'' and a variation for female ministers.
Male Christian priests are sometimes addressed as ''Father'' or, for example, as ''Father John'' or ''Father Smith''. However, in official correspondence, such priests are not normally referred to as ''Father John'', ''Father Smith'', or ''Father John Smith'', but as ''The Reverend John Smith''. ''Father'' as an informal title is used for Catholic, Orthodox and Old Catholic
The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches or Old Catholic movement designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the undivide ...
priests and for many priests of the Anglican and Lutheran churches. In England, however, even Catholic priests were often referred to as "Mr" until the 20th century except when members of a religious order. "Mr" is still usual for priests of the Church of England.
Some female Anglican or Old Catholic priests use the style ''The Reverend Mother'' and are addressed as ''Mother''.
In a unique case, ''Reverend'' was used to refer to a church consistory, a local administrative body. "Reverend Coetus" and "Reverend Assembly" were used to refer to the entire body of local officials during the transformation of the Dutch Reformed Church in the mid-18th century.
Variations
''The Reverend'' may be modified to reflect ecclesiastical standing and rank. Modifications vary across religious traditions and countries. Some common examples are:
Christianity
Roman Catholic
* Religious sisters
A religious sister (abbreviated ''Sr.'' or Sist.) in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to pra ...
may be styled as ''Reverend Sister'' (in writing), though this is more common in Italy than in, for example, the United States. They may be addressed as ''Sister'' (in writing or in speaking).
* Deacons
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
are addressed as
** ''The Reverend Deacon'' (in writing), or ''Father Deacon'' (in writing or speaking), or simply ''Deacon'' (in speaking), if ordained permanently to the diaconate.
*** ''The Reverend Mister'' (in writing) may be used for seminarians who are ordained to the diaconate, before being ordained presbyters; ''Deacon'' (in speaking); nearly never ''Father Deacon'' in the Latin Rite in English.
* Priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
s, whether diocesan
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
, or in an order of canons regular
Canons regular are priests who live in community under a rule ( and canon in greek) and are generally organised into religious orders, differing from both secular canons and other forms of religious life, such as clerics regular, designated by a ...
, in a monastic
Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...
or a mendicant order, or clerics regular
Clerics regular are clerics (mostly priests) who are members of a religious order under a rule of life (regular). Clerics regular differ from canons regular in that they devote themselves more to pastoral care, in place of an obligation to the p ...
''The Reverend'' or ''The Reverend Father'' (in writing).
** Protonotaries Apostolic, Prelates of Honor and Chaplains of His Holiness: ''The Reverend Monsignor
Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...
'' (in writing).
** Priests with various grades of jurisdiction above pastor (e.g., vicars general
A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...
, judicial vicar
In the Roman Catholic Church, a judicial vicar or episcopal official ( la, links=no, officialis) is an officer of the diocese who has ordinary power to judge cases in the diocesan ecclesiastical court. Although the diocesan bishop can reserv ...
s, ecclesiastical judge
An ecclesiastical judge ( la, Judex, or ) is an ecclesiastical person who possesses ecclesiastical jurisdiction either in general or in the strict sense. Up until 1858 when Ecclesiastical courts were abolished, ecclesiastical judges tried church c ...
s, episcopal vicar
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United State ...
s, provincials of religious orders of priests, rectors or presidents of colleges and universities, prior
Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...
s of monasteries, dean
Dean may refer to:
People
* Dean (given name)
* Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin
* Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk
* Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean
Titles
* ...
s, vicars forane
A dean, in an ecclesiastical context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and many Lutheran denominations. A dean's assist ...
, archpriests
The ecclesiastical title of archpriest or archpresbyter belongs to certain priests with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches and may be somewhat analogous ...
): ''The Very Reverend'' (in writing).
* Abbot
Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...
s of monasteries: ''The Right Reverend'' (in writing).
* Abbess
An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey.
Description
In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic ...
es of convents: ''The Reverend Mother Superior'', with their convent's name following (e.g., ''The Reverend Mother Superior of the Poor Clares of Boston'' in written form, while being referred to simply as ''Mother Superior'' in speech).
* Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
s and archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
s: ''The Most Reverend''.
**In some countries of the Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
, such as the United Kingdom (but not in Northern Ireland), only archbishops are styled ''The Most Reverend'' (and addressed as "Your Grace") and other bishops are styled ''The Right Reverend''.
*Cardinals
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
are styled as ''His Eminence''
*Patriarchs
The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certa ...
as ''His Beatitude''
*Patriarchs of Eastern-rite Catholic churches (those in full communion with Rome) who are made Cardinals are titled ''His Beatitude and Eminence''
*The Catholic Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
and other Eastern-rite Catholic or Orthodox leaders with the title Pope as ''His Holiness''["How to Address Church Officials", ''Catholic Education Resource Center'' website.]
/ref>
None of the clergy are usually addressed in speech as ''Reverend'' or ''The Reverend'' alone. Generally, ''Father'' is acceptable for all three orders of clergy, though in some countries this is customary for priests only. Deacons may be addressed as ''Deacon'', honorary prelates as ''Monsignor''; bishops and archbishops as ''Your Excellency'' (or ''Your Grace'' in Commonwealth countries), or, in informal settings, as ''Bishop'', ''Archbishop'', etc.
Eastern Orthodox
*A deacon is often styled as ''The Reverend Deacon'' (or Hierodeacon A hierodeacon (Greek: Ἱεροδιάκονος, ''Ierodiákonos''; Slavonic: ''Ierodiakón''), sometimes translated "deacon-monk", in Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a monk who has been ordained a deacon (or deacon who has been tonsured monk). Th ...
, Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...
, Protodeacon, according to ecclesiastical elevation), while in spoken use the title ''Father'' is used (sometimes ''Father Deacon'').
*A married priest is ''The Reverend Father''; a monastic priest is ''The Reverend Hieromonk
A hieromonk ( el, Ἱερομόναχος, Ieromonachos; ka, მღვდელმონაზონი, tr; Slavonic: ''Ieromonakh'', ro, Ieromonah), also called a priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Eastern Orthodox Church and E ...
''; a protopresbyter
A ''protoiereus'' (from grc, πρωτοϊερεύς, "first priest", Modern Greek: πρωθιερέας) or protopriest in the Eastern Orthodox Church is a priest usually coordinating the activity of other subordinate priests in a bigger church. T ...
is ''The Very Reverend Father''; and an archimandrite
The title archimandrite ( gr, ἀρχιμανδρίτης, archimandritēs), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot (''hegumenos'', gr, ἡγούμενος, present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") who ...
is either ''The Very Reverend Father'' (Greek practice) or ''The Right Reverend Father'' (Russian practice). All may be simply addressed as ''Father''.
*Abbot
Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...
s and abbess
An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey.
Description
In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic ...
es are styled ''The Very Reverend Abbot/Abbess'' and are addressed as ''Father'' and ''Mother'' respectively.
*A bishop is referred to as ''The Right Reverend Bishop'' and addressed as ''Your Grace'' (or ''Your Excellency'').
*An archbishop or metropolitan, whether or not he is the head of an autocephalous
Autocephaly (; from el, αὐτοκεφαλία, meaning "property of being self-headed") is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern Ort ...
or autonomous
In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ow ...
church, is styled ''The Most Reverend Archbishop/Metropolitan'' and addressed as ''Your Eminence''.
*Heads of autocephalous and autonomous churches with the title Patriarch are styled differently, according to the customs of their respective churches, usually ''Beatitude'' but sometimes ''Holiness'' and exceptionally ''All-Holiness''.
Anglican Communion
*Deacons
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
are styled as ''The Reverend'', ''The Reverend Deacon'', or ''The Reverend Mr/Mrs/Miss''.
*Priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
s are usually styled as ''The Reverend'', ''The Reverend Father/Mother'' (even if not a religious
Religion is usually defined as a social system, social-cultural system of designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morality, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sacred site, sanctified places, prophecy, prophecie ...
) or ''The Reverend Mr/Mrs/Miss''.
*Heads of some women's religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practi ...
s are styled as ''The Reverend Mother'' (even if not ordained).
*Canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
s are usually styled as ''The Reverend Canon'' (sometimes abbreviated as "Cn").
*Dean
Dean may refer to:
People
* Dean (given name)
* Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin
* Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk
* Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean
Titles
* ...
s are usually styled as ''The Very Reverend
The Very Reverend is a Style (manner of address), style given to members of the clergy. The definite article "The" should always precede "Reverend" as "Reverend" is a style or fashion and not a title.
Catholic
In the Catholic Church, the style i ...
''.
*Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...
s are usually styled as ''The Venerable
The Venerable (''venerabilis'' in Latin) is a style, a title, or an epithet which is used in some Western Christianity, Western Christian churches, or it is a translation of similar terms for clerics in Eastern Orthodoxy and monastics in Buddhism. ...
'' (abbreviated as "The Ven").
*Prior
Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...
s of monasteries may be styled as ''The Very Reverend
The Very Reverend is a Style (manner of address), style given to members of the clergy. The definite article "The" should always precede "Reverend" as "Reverend" is a style or fashion and not a title.
Catholic
In the Catholic Church, the style i ...
''.
* Abbot
Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...
s of monasteries may be styled as ''The Right Reverend
The Right Reverend (abbreviated The Rt Revd, The Rt Rev'd, The Rt Rev.) is a style (manner of address), style applied to certain religion, religious figures.
Overview
*In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholicism in the United Kingdom, ...
''.
*Bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
s are styled as ''The Right Reverend
The Right Reverend (abbreviated The Rt Revd, The Rt Rev'd, The Rt Rev.) is a style (manner of address), style applied to certain religion, religious figures.
Overview
*In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholicism in the United Kingdom, ...
'' and, traditionally, '' His Lordship'' if a male diocesan bishop (or ''His/Her Grace'' in the United States).
*Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
s and primate
Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians (monkeys and apes, the latter including huma ...
s and (for historical reasons) the Bishop of Meath and Kildare
The United Dioceses of Meath and Kildare is a diocese in the Church of Ireland located in the Republic of Ireland. The diocese is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin. Alone of English and Irish bishops who are not also archbishops, the Bis ...
are styled as ''The Most Reverend
The Most Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures, primarily within the historic denominations of Christianity, but occasionally in some more modern traditions also. It is a variant of the more common style "The Reverend".
Anglic ...
''.
*Some archbishops, such as the Archbishop of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...
, are also styled '' His/Her Grace''.
Baptists
Among Southern Baptist
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The word ...
s in the United States, pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
s are often referred to in written communication and formal address as ''Reverend''. However, Southern Baptist pastors are often orally addressed as either ''Brother'' (e.g., ''Brother Smith'', as New Testament writers describe Christians as being brothers and sisters in Christ) or ''Pastor'' (as in ''Pastor Smith'' or simply ''Pastor'' without the pastor's last name).
Many African American Baptists use "Reverend" informally and formally, however correctly ''The Reverend John Smith'' or ''The Reverend Mary Smith''.
Members of the National Baptist Convention usually refer to their pastors as ''The Reverend''.
Lutheran
* Deacons: Commonly styled ''Deacon'' and their last name (such as Deacon Smith)
*Pastors: ''The Reverend'' is usually written, but the person is commonly orally addressed as ''Pastor Smith'' or "Pastor John"; the latter frequently used by members of their congregation.
* Priests: The formal style for a priest is either ''The Reverend'' or ''The Very Reverend'', but for male priests the title ''Father'' and the person's last name are frequently used (such as Father Smith).
* Bishops are styled as ''The Right Reverend''.
** In America the style ''The Reverend Bishop'' or simply ''Bishop'' and the person's last name are more frequently used.
* Archbishops are styled as ''The Most Reverend''.
Methodist
In some Methodist churches, especially in the United States, ordained and licensed ministers are usually addressed as ''Reverend'', unless they hold a doctorate in which case they are often addressed in formal situations as ''The Reverend Doctor''. In informal situations ''Reverend'' is used. ''The Reverend'', however, is used in more formal or in written communication, along with ''His/Her Reverence'' or ''Your Reverence''. ''Brother'' or ''Sister'' is used in some places, although these are formally used to address members of Methodist religious orders, such as the Saint Brigid of Kildare Monastery
Saint Brigid of Kildare Monastery is a double monastery of the United Methodist Church located in St. Joseph, Minnesota, United States.
The guiding sources for the monastery include the Holy Bible, the Rule of Saint Benedict, the Benedictine Brevi ...
. Use of these forms of address differs depending on the location of the church or annual conference
A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic.
Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main pu ...
.
In British Methodism, ordained ministers can be either presbyters (ministers of word and sacrament) or deacons (ministers of witness and service). Presbyters are addressed as ''The Revd'' (with given name and surname) or as Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms with surname alone.
The United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...
in the United States often addresses its ministers as ''Reverend'' (e.g., ''Reverend Smith''). ''The Reverend'', however, is still used in more formal or official written communication.
Presbyterian
Church ministers are styled ''The Reverend''. The moderators of the General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI; ga, Eaglais Phreispitéireach in Éirinn; Ulster-Scots: ''Prisbytairin Kirk in Airlann'') is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the Republic of Ireland, and the largest Protestant denomination in ...
, the Presbyterian Church of Australia
The Presbyterian Church of Australia (PCA) is the largest Presbyterian denomination in Australia. (The larger Uniting Church in Australia incorporated about two-thirds of the PCA in 1977.)
History
Beginnings
When captain James Cook lande ...
, the Presbyterian Church in Canada and the United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada (french: link=no, Église unie du Canada) is a mainline Protestant denomination that is the largest Protestant Christian denomination in Canada and the second largest Canadian Christian denomination after the Catholi ...
, when ordained clergy, are styled ''The Right Reverend'' during their year of service and ''The Very Reverend'' afterwards. Moderators of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...
are styled simply ''The Reverend''. By tradition in the Church of Scotland, the ministers of St Giles' Cathedral
St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended ...
, Edinburgh (also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh) and Paisley Abbey
Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, based on a for ...
are styled ''The Very Reverend''. In Presbyterian courts where elders hold equal status with ministers it is correct to refer to ministers by their title (Mr, Mrs, Dr, Prof etc.). Traditionally in Scotland ministers are referred to in their communities in this way and this is an entirely correct form of address.
Restoration Movement
Like some other groups that assert the lack of clerical titles within the church as narrated in the New Testament, congregations in the Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement (also known as the American Restoration Movement or the Stone–Campbell Movement, and pejoratively as Campbellism) is a Christian movement that began on the United States frontier during the Second Great Awakening (17 ...
(i.e., influenced by Barton Warren Stone
Barton Warren Stone (December 24, 1772 – November 9, 1844) was an American evangelist during the early 19th-century Second Great Awakening in the United States. First ordained a Presbyterian minister (Christianity), minister, he and four other m ...
and Alexander Campbell), often disdain use of ''The Reverend'' and instead use the more generalized designation ''Brother''. The practice is universal within the Churches of Christ
The Churches of Christ is a loose association of autonomous Christian congregations based on the ''sola scriptura'' doctrine. Their practices are based on Bible texts and draw on the early Christian church as described in the New Testament.
T ...
and prevalent in the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ
The group of churches known as the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ is a fellowship of congregations within the Restoration Movement (also known as the Stone-Campbell Movement and the Reformation of the 19th Century) that have no forma ...
but has become uncommon in the Disciples of Christ
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...
, which use ''The Reverend'' for ordained ministers.
Community of Christ
Internally, members of the priesthood do not use ''The Reverend'' as a style, but are generally known as "brother" or "sister" or by their specific priesthood office ("deacon", "teacher" or "priest" are often appended after the person's name, instead of, for example, "Deacon John Adams" or "Deacon Adams", and generally only in written form; in contrast, elders, bishops, evangelists, apostles, etc. are often, for example, known as "Bishop John Smith" or "Bishop Smith"). Any member of the priesthood who presides over a congregation can, and often is, known as "pastor" or (if an elder), "presiding elder". Such use might only be in reference to occupying that position ("she is the pastor") as opposed to being used as a style ("Pastor Jane"). Priesthood members presiding over multiple congregations or various church councils are often termed "president". Externally, in ecumenical settings, ''The Reverend'' is sometimes used.
Nondenominational
In some countries, including the United States, the title ''Pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
'' (such as ''Pastor Smith'' in more formal address or ''Pastor John'' in less formal) is often used in many nondenominational Christian traditions rather than ''The Reverend'' or ''Reverend''.
Judaism
The primary Jewish religious leader is a rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
, which denotes that they have received rabbinical ordination (''semicha
Semikhah ( he, סמיכה) is the traditional Jewish name for rabbinic ordination.
The original ''semikhah'' was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of ''semikhah'' ceased between 360 and 425 C ...
''). They are addressed as ''Rabbi'' or ''Rabbi Surname'' or (especially in Sephardic
Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...
and Mizrachi) as Hakham
''Hakham'' (or ''chakam(i), haham(i), hacham(i)''; he, חכם ', "wise") is a term in Judaism, meaning a wise or skillful man; it often refers to someone who is a great Torah scholar. It can also refer to any cultured and learned person: "He ...
.
The use of the Christian terms "Reverend" and "minister" for the rabbi of a congregation was common in Classical Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous sear ...
and in the British Empire in the 19th and early 20th centuries, especially if the rabbi had attended a Western-style seminary or university rather than a traditional yeshiva
A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are s ...
.
Some small communities without a rabbi may be led by a ''hazzan
A ''hazzan'' (; , lit. Hazan) or ''chazzan'' ( he, חַזָּן , plural ; Yiddish ''khazn''; Ladino ''Hasan'') is a Jewish musician or precentor trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.
In English, this pr ...
'' (cantor), who is addressed (in English) as "Reverend". For this reason, and because ''hazzanim'' are often recognized as clergy by secular authorities for purposes such as registering marriages; other hazzanim may be addressed as Reverend, although Cantor is more common.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reverend
Ecclesiastical styles