Rural Dean
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the Church of England, a Rural Dean presides over a Rural Deanery (more commonly simply referred to as a Deanery). Although once universal, the title has been legally altered to Area Dean in certain urban dioceses where the older version had become an archaic oddity.
The rural dean is an officer of the bishop and, together with an elected layperson, chairs the deanery synod. In this capacity, the rural dean also participates in decisions affecting a benefice within the deanery. The Rural Dean's key roles include the care of parishes (within his/her Deanery) which are in interregnum, calling and chairing meetings of the Deanery Chapter (assembly of all licensed priests and deacons within the Deanery), co-chairing meetings of the Deanery Synod (elected representatives of every parish in the Deanery), caring for the clergy of the Deanery, providing a means of communication between the parishes and the Bishop of the Diocese, and carrying out a Visitation of any parish within the Deanery on behalf of the Archdeacon, when commissioned to do so.
[edit] See also
- Archpriest for historical context
[edit] References
- MacMorran K. M. and Briden T. A Handbook for Churchwardens and Parochial Church Councillors, Continuum (2001) ISBN 0-8264-6308-8
