LINKS
Introduction
At the recommendation of the General Synod, the Central Council of the
Guild formulated a training course, which would cover the work and
ministry of the Verger
The Course is formulated in two stages, consisting of four units,
Foundation, Pastor, Historian and Administrator.
The first stage is the Foundation Unit, this
consists of sixteen assignments, covering preparation for worship, care
of the building, records and archives, care of the churchyard, and care
for the people of God.
On completion, and if successful, the Guilds Foundation certificate is
awarded. Some students may wish to undertake more challenging training
by completing the second stage.
The second stage is the remaining three units:-
Pastor Unit consists of twelve assignments
covering the individuals personal development, their relationship with
people and God, care for others and resources.
History Unit consists of eighteen assignments
covering the history of church building, architecture, the history of
worship, and the purpose of a congregation.
Administration Unit consists of sixteen
assignments covering communication, forms and registrars, the
structures of the Church of England, and the role and importance of
people in the life of the church.
Attendance at Training Conference
It is intended that all students who proceed to the second stage of the
training course, will attend at least one residential training
conference.
Registration
Application to start the course should be made on the prescribed form
obtained from the Training Registrar.
Administration
When a students enrols, he/she should seek a tutor that might be the
Verger’s own priest or chaplain or another Verger, whose duty it is to
guide and work with them throughout their period of study. It is
envisaged that the whole course will take a minimum of four years and
some students will require a longer period, due to other pressures upon
their time.
No units should be submitted as finished with out the full knowledge
and agreement of the tutor.
Both student and tutor or mentor should initial the completed units on
the back page, which then should be forwarded to the Registrar who will
remove any identification and forward the unit to the appropriate
assessor. Students who have completed the Foundation Course
successfully will be advised of the result. Students who complete
the modules of stage two, i.e. Pastor, History and Administration may
be called for a viva voce examination, which will take place in London
in October or at the Conference at London Colney in May/June.
Submission dates for units
So that the assessors may have course work in time for their meetings,
and to enable diplomas to be prepared for presentation at the
residential conference, please assist the assessors by adhering to the
deadlines detailed below.
Foundation Unit
To allow for certificate presentation at the Annual Training
Conference, Foundations units must be submitted to the Training
Registrar by the 1st January
Pastor and History Units
These units are marked by the internal assessors, following assessment
by the respective external assessor, in January of each year, and must
be submitted to the Registrar no later than 1st November of the
preceding year. Students having submitted courses, may be called
for interview at the residential conference held in June.
Administration Unit
This unit must be submitted to the Registrar by 1st August so that the
Diploma (if awarded) can be presented at the Residential conference the
following year. This allows for time for assessment by the
external and internal assessors and a personal interview, usually in
January and is usually in London.
Students and Tutors
Students should meet with their tutors or mentors every three months
and in addition, each student should have a more ‘local’ mentor, to
whom they can have more frequent contact.
For the Pastor Unit, where the student is considering his/her own
spiritual life and faith, we strongly recommend that the student find a
Spiritual Director. This may be a priest or someone who is a
trained Spiritual Director. Most dioceses will have a list of
people trained and willing to act.
No work should be sent to the registrar before the tutor is satisfied
that the work has reached a satisfactory standard.
For the Tutor
Are you as tutor satisfied that the student has not only answered
the questions, but understands what the questions were really trying to
get across.
If the Question being asked is for any reason out of date, i.e. Common
Worship replacing the ASB, rewriting of Cathedral Statutes , the
establishing of the Archbishops’ Council etc, the Student should answer
the question as it now stands, (not as it stood when his copy of the
unit was printed). Likewise where a student does not fit into the
Cathedral/Parish system i.e. Garrison verger, or a verger from a
non-Anglican tradition, the student will hopefully explain the
differences. Leaving the question blank, or “this does not apply
to me” is not acceptable.
Common Worship was introduced in 2000, replacing the ASB.
Although the units are in the process of being updated we expect the
student to bring his/her copy up to date by rephrasing the questions to
reflect recent changes/ to comply with Common Worship. Here is an
opportunity for the student to let us know how much they know about
recent liturgical developments, but the questions about Sunday Themes
no longer applies in Common Worship and may now be ignored.
CPC 20/10/09
Candidates should be encouraged to present their units in the same manner as they are received, using the blue plastic binding clips. This allows work to be inserted at the correct places and also should be easier and cheaper when returning in the post, back to the Registrar.
The assessors are looking for concise answers which
- answer the question
- show understanding of the topic
- application to the work and /or life of the Verger
Sometimes you will need to read the Bible or other books in order to
answer a question, but where this is the case, a footnote with the
reference is required. Quotations should always be quoted in full
and the author acknowledged. Please do not copy out chunks of
text. Please take a look at the following link for rules on
plagerism and copying.
Referencing
Golden Rules
The use of computers if available greatly enhances the appearance of
a presentation.
If it is not possible to see the student personally, original work
should not be sent through the post, only copies.
If possible, students should always keep a duplicate copy, when the finished copy goes to the Registrar for assessment.
Residential Training Conference
The annual residential training conference is held for five days
usually in early June, at All Saints Pastoral Centre, London Colney,
Hertfordshire.
All students will be required to attend the conference, which is
structured to further the knowledge and ability of vergers and to equip
us for our ministry.
Apart from the formal lectures by experts in their own fields,
Conference is also a time for fellowship among vergers from many
backgrounds, and there is a great exchange for resources, ideas and
fellowship. There are also workshops on allied topics, some trade
stands and usually an educational outing to a Cathedral or Large Parish
church. This coupled with the fun and fellowship we generate
ourselves and a rich diet in Chapel and Refectory makes for a very
rewarding time together.
Bursary Fund
Students should approach their Dean and Chapter or PCC’s for assistance
with funding for Conference. However, for students who may find the
cost of conference difficult, the Guild has a bursary fund, (as also do
some branches). This is used exclusively for the training of students,
particularly to enable them (and others) to attend. All applications,
which are treated in the strictest confidence, should be made to the
National Chaplain.
The money for the bursary fund comes from the Bishops annual grants, we
are most grateful to the Bishops for their support and generosity.
Diploma of the Guild
On satisfactory completion of the Course, the Guild will award the
Student the Diploma of the Guild of Vergers. Diplomas will be
presented during the Guild Congregation, on the first full day of
conference. Thereafter the Guild hood may be worn, together with
the use of the letters Dip GV after their name.
Assessment
Each module is marked by an External Assessor and an Internal Assessor
and the mark classification agreed.
Training Committee
The Training Committee consists of
The Training Officer, The Registrar,
The National Chaplain,
The General Secretary and
two members appointed by Central Council, with Parish and Cathedral
Experience.
Training Officer
John Shearer John.Shearer@mac.com
1c Colston Parade
Redcliffe
Bristol
0117 929 0102
Click on the audio bar below to hear what BBC radio 4 has to say about life as a verger.
