Dear ones, an Episcopalian colleague wrote to me off-line asking about the appropriate use of clericals. He is struggling with issues of pastoral authority and apparently getting some grief about wearing a collar in his chaplaincy work.
This is not an unusual scenario: many Protestant readers have undoubtedly been reacted to with a double-take when they wear a collar, which are seen by some laypeople to be a strictly Catholic convention.
Here, BoyIntheBands advises our dear writer, and hopefully some of you:
1. Under no circumstances should you be clever with clericals. It’s not
a costume but, in a sense, a uniform. Yes, it can be a help and a
shorthand to initiate a pastoral encounter. (People are also more prone,
in my experience, to ask directions when you wear them too.) They are
also a lightening rod to receive people’s undigested feelings about the
clergy and the church. Being cute with clericals shows you don’t
understand their power. You may wear black, dove grey or a slate blue
(if you must.) You can wear a jacket over a clergy shirt, or with a
suit, if its the kind of situation which calls for a jacket or suit.
Otherwise, gabardine trousers or worsted wool is best. No khakis or gym
shoes ever.2. Don’t wear clericals in honor of past mentors. Don’t wear them for
your ego. Wear them to remind yourself of the awesome responsibility of
the ministry. Like anyone else who wears a uniform, you’re making
yourself vulnerable to inspection and criticism. Expect that.3. Are you wearing clericals because you’re unsure of your authority?
Perhaps your supervisor has a point. Would you wear them to
denominational events or on those occasions where you supply preach or
teach? If not, perhaps you’ve answered your own question.4. Protestants have a clericals tradition, including the UCC and UUA.
Avoid, however, little notch collars as these really more conventionally
Catholic. Shirtband collars, in my opinion, read more Protestant so at
least you can stand on studied principle. (A stroll through a hallway of
photographs in one of the older denominational churches, or in the old
scrapbooks might offer clues, if available.) But I don’t expect all low
Protestant clergymembers to know their history any more than I expect
Catholic laypersons to know what to call a Protestant clergymember.
(That said, I did get a cheery “Happy Father’s Day” greeting from a
perfect stranger walking to church a few Junes ago. Made my day. To
which the proper reply is “Thank you. God bless!”)5. If you’re not “on duty” don’t wear them because if you wear them
you’re on duty. Have something you can change into if you have other
errands or business: I’ve learned this the hard way.6. As a practical matter, commercial clergy shirts are too expensive for
their poor quality, but get the best you can afford. If you have a
spouse who sews, so much the better.My blog has other practical advice, of course.
[You can browse BITB by category — PB]
As a rule, I reserve clerical shirts for events of public witness and ministry — a recognizable symbol outside the cozy and familiar confines of my congregation.
I think the wearing of clericals also depends on region. When I did my hospital chaplaincy in California, I connected more strongly with the patients when I was without my collar. In a culture that is less experienced and/or comfortable with clergy (i.e. unchurched), the collar was often a significant barrier.
At the same time, when I did relief work in Mississippi after Katrina, wearing a collar was essential. People responded very positively to a clergy presence and were far more likely to open up to me when my role and status was clear. I had arrived at the relief center without a collar — based on my California experience — and was told that my first order of business was to locate and wear clericals. It made an amazing difference.
Ooo, clericals! As far as don’t get clever, can’t a girl get a little clever? I’m also an Episcopal chaplain, and I have a denim shirt, as well as yellow, pretty blue, and the standard black. I have a friend who has pink stripes and she’s way cool. (Wears it with smashing black pants and fab shoes, and you practically feel converted on sight!) The Bishop of Hawaii has purple Hawaiian…
As far as in chaplaincy: I have had 3 places so far where I have been requested to appear in collar and have done so. It was a growing pain- in the parish, I couldn’t wait to get my collar off and show I was still cool and normal. Now that I’m growing into my clergy identity more, I’ve become more comfortable with collars in a working world. I don’t wear them camping, but I will take a Janie-style one if I’ll be doing mountaintop Eucharist with the Bishop. I wore collars for regular work days and all meetings and diocesean conferences (as do the vast majority of my colleagues). Our collars really do become our suits.
At my current place, I am not allowed to wear my collar and I do have problems with that. Because the hospital tells me that they want to have interfaith-serving clergy and they don’t want to have one person in a collar and another not in collar (since we have chaplain interns and staff who are not ordained), that attitude tells me that the hospital is uncomfortable with the chaplaincy. I also feel they are working to not acknowledge the level of specialization and training that comes with the job, as well as they are not willing to trust their chaplains to deport themselves professionally as chaplains. It is telling that they also gave me a hard time about requesting my title “The Rev.” on my buisness cards, and they also didn’t want to change my name after I married. They do put Dr. Joe Smith, M.D., or Jane Doe, LPC, and Mary Jones, MSW, so to me, they are uncomfortable with the fact that they have highly trained clergy (like M.Divs and D. Mins and a Ph.D or two) working in their hospital.
Since I have been having dreams lately of going to work in my collars, I think I have decided it is a standard part of my normal daily buisness attire (most of the time). In my next job, I am certainly going to require the right to wear my collars. But you can bet that I will have decent shoes with ’em! Yes, Peacebang, I will not buy crocs for the hospital and wear them with my collars. You have at least taught me that much. But as soon as I”m out of grad school, I’m going jeans shopping for a pair of Hot Clergy Jeans! AND I’m wearing them to the next Diocesean Convention.
Re: 4. Let me just add that Anglicans/Episcopals often view themselves (quite legitimately IMO) as small-c catholics and in this case I think it’s perfectly okay for them to dress like a catholic priest, as long as do not try to pass themselves off as RC priests (lets say, by giving communion to a RC patient in a hospital, when they know perfectly well that person’s church doesn’t recognize their orders & therefore the communion is invalid).
http://episcopalhospitalchaplain.blogspot.com/
Has some interesting comments on this subject.
I am an Episcopal priest, and I have decided to wear black shirts exclusively because I can’t mangage to be that creative with my clergy wear. I think for people in parish ministry, or say a diocesan bishop, mixing it up a bit is nice because the image is theoretically well understood by the congregation, or at least recognized.
IMHO the bright colors are appropriate for, say, an church picnic or a clergy gathering and NOT appropriate for a community event, for the same reason they wouldn’t be appropriate for a chaplain–too confusing to the uninformed. If a bishop wears a purple shirt and a priest or deacon wears a black shirt, who wears a yellow shirt?
I have to disagree about the no khakis rule suggested earlier. People who wear collars all the time wear nice jeans and khakis and looks great in the right context. Not for a funeral, of course, or a big meeting, but for youth group or meeting a young couple at the playground or working in a shelter or soup kitchen–sure.
Finally, I’m glad for the heads up about the controversies about wearing collars. If I ever look into hospital chaplaincy, I’ll do my best to clarify that going in. I can see why letting unordained people wear collars would be problematic from an authority perspective, but in a hospital all clothing is symbolic and it just makes sense that a person who is ordained should wear clothing that reflects that.
I am a new Episcopal deacon and want to agree madgebaby about khakis–I think khakis are appropriate, perhaps not on Sunday morning, but for a hot regular summer workday.
I disagree about not wearing tab collars. The Archbishop of Canterbury wears them, for Pete’s sake, so they are not strictly Catholic. Yes, they could cause some confusion, but seeing that I am a woman, I doubt I will be mistaken for a Catholic priest. It can be an educational opportunity! And, tabs are more comfortable, easier, and don’t get misshapen when left in a hot car if one removes them to go into the grocery store.
Deacon Elizabeth, and all,
Go for the fabric collars. They don’t get misshapen ever. AND they breathe! They are a little more expensive, but mine have lasted 3+ years so far. Aidan Comfort Collars is okay, and have a no-iron thing. I get mine from Whippell and from JR Evans, and I’ve never looked back to the Sweaty Clammy Collars of Heck (such as the misnamed Clericool). I just throw them in the whites load, and starch and iron afterwards. Happiness!
Second, does this mean you guys are voting down my beloved yellow shirt? Sniffle, sniffle… Sadness!!
Rev Bee
RevBee, I say keep the yellow!!!
My suggestion is just don’t wear the cool yellow shirts where it might be confusing to the unchurched, like at a community event or in chaplaincy settings.
I’d say the same thing for men. Lots of clergy shirts are made in “menswear” oxford type colors, and they’re confusing for those outside the church.
Maybe I’m narrow minded on this issue, but it’s not OK–it’s distracting, and not appropriate to the occasion–to sit with the sick and grieving in a brightly colored clerical shirt, at least in my book. It’s equally odd for a male priest to dress like a banker with a collar.
Siblings:
As an old Episcopal Priest (all right, perhaps not that old in birthdays, but I’ve been a priest more than 25 years) and a hospital chaplain (even longer) I’m not so concerned explicitly about the colors of clericals. Yes, I do where black commonly when I’m celebrating, whether in the hospital chapel or supplying in a congregation; but the rest of the time I include navy, dove gray, and a light blue in the rota. I do find that does distinguish me from Roman clergy in my area on the one hand (who always wear black clericals) and other Protestant clergy on the other (who rarely enough wear suits or jackets, either men or women, much less clericals). I do wear clericals whenever I work (and, yes, that is a link to my blog that Elizabeth graciously submitted), being willing to take on the occasional anxiety or outright fear for the clarification up front as to my role in a crisis.
Some years ago when I was working in Memphis, I was reminded that white clericals are quite common in tropical settings. Since Memphis was (and is) a tropical setting for much of the year, I did wear white, both in a formal full collar under a rabat, and also in occasional daily wear. However, I must admit that light colors are somewhat in conflict with my propensity for fountain pens, and so can be a hazard.
All that said, blessed peacebang, I appreciate your call for professionals to look professional. Seeing a minister in “business casual” can remind me too much of a used car salesman for comfort.
I would like to respond to this point, “If you have a spouse who sews, so much the better.” You could learn to sew yourself and that would be even better! [Holy cow! I am SO BUSTED! Thanks for busting me. Well played. – PB]