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About Us...
The Church of England Guild of Vergers (CEGV) was founded in 1932,
and has as its presidents the Archbishops
of Canterbury and York who take a very keen interest in the Guild, and
together they appoint a priest to act as the National Chaplain.
The Guild was founded to promote Christian Fellowship and spiritual
guidance among the Vergers of the Cathedrals and Parish Churches of
England. It has a current membership of around 750 with a further 100
members overseas, witnessing to the Guild’s influence in other parts of
the Anglican Communion.
The community of the Guild is divided into many Areas, comprising one
or more local Branches, where friendships, help, and encouragement are
to be found. Branches are responsible for arranging their own
programmes of events, services and training during the year, details of
which will be available from each Branch’s Officers. The Guild also
enjoys national gatherings, usually including two annual Festival days
and a residential Training Conference. Details are published by
the host Branch in good time, and links are usually available on this
website.
Each Area is represented in the Guild’s governing body - Central Council - which meets periodically to transact the Guild’s business, discuss matters of concern, and plan for the future. The Central Council is also responsible for the various “departments” which make up our core activity, such as Training, Communication, Liaison and Welfare, whose officers serve the needs of the members. Together we try to fulfil our mission of “enabling by service”.
By our very nature, the ministry exercised by our diverse membership is wide-ranging; some do so on their own through their preparation for and attendance at regular or special weekend services; many are on duty during the week to keep their buildings open for visitors and pilgrims; others do so through meticulous cleaning of the church and hall, tending the churchyard, keeping the buildings in good repair and keeping the drains clear ! Some exercise this ministry through administration; some are employed by schools or colleges, Garrisons or estate churches and form part of a bigger team caring for the community in those settings; others are the church’s ambassadors standing at the Gates of the Temple to welcome those who have come to worship or to attend a concert or formal ceremony and are responsible for the welfare and sensitive ordering of those who come, sometimes in large numbers, to our holy places; the ministry of others is through planning and taking part in great liturgies, carefully crafted, with many elaborate processions all carefully verged by teams of highly trained staff….
MEMBERSHIP OF THE GUILD is open to all persons
employed or occupied regularly, whether full or part time, or as a
voluntary verger (however titled), in the Provinces throughout the
Anglican Communion. The Central Council may also invite and accept
applications from interested persons, perhaps from other denominations,
to become Associate Members of the Guild. Such Associate Members having
no voting rights.
Vergers from the United Kingdom wishing to become members of the Guild
should apply through the
,
who is in a position to know which Branch to direct the verger
to. Overseas Vergers should apply to the Overseas Liaison Officer.
The Guild seeks to make effective the ministry of Vergers through the following key objectives, by :
Promoting the spiritual nature of the Vergers’
Vocation through Christian Fellowship and spiritual guidance
for all its Members;
Encouraging the advancement of knowledge by education,
through maintaining standards of good practice, and by
equipping Members for Ministry as vergers in all its aspects, through
the provision of advice, training, resources, and by organizing
and promoting training courses and conferences;
Providing the means and opportunity for communication
and discussion of ideas and proposals of common interest to Members;
Providing support and encouragement to the
Membership in all aspects of their duties whatever they may be and
wherever performed;
Advising, upon request, and making recommendations
as to terms of employment and welfare of any Member;
Recording the gamut of work undertaken by Vergers; in addition noting each Member’s training, experience and qualifications.
Click on the audio bar below to hear what BBC radio 4 has to say about life as a verger.
