C 

Called to Common Mission ~ The agreement between the Episcopal Church of
the United States of America and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America which allows for full communion and the exchange of clergy between the two churches.

Canon ~ 1) A church law.  National canons are adopted by General Convention and
pertain to all dioceses, churches, clergy, etc. which are part of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America.  Diocesan canons are adopted by Diocesan Council and pertain to the local diocese.  2) A person appointed by the bishop to the bishop's staff, or one appointed by the dean of a cathedral to the cathedral's staff.  A canon may be a cleric or a lay person.

Canonical Group ~ A segment of the diocesan structure comprised of the bishop and his secretary, Standing Committee, Diocesan Council, Trustees and Commission on Ministry.

Canonically Resident Clergy ~ Clergy under the continuing authority of the diocesan bishop. This status allows the individual to practice ministry in that diocese. A cleric can be canonically resident in only one diocese at a time. (Contrast: Licensed Clergy )

Cantor ~ A person who chants or sings; often a solo voice that begins the service. The Festival of Lessons and Carols begins with the solo of the cantor.

Capital Campaign ~ A special fund raising effort in support of specified objectives (usually related to facilities and/or specific ministries).

Carillon ~ A set of church bells; generally found only in churches large enough to have a tower or steeple strong enough to support the weight of the many bells; some of the bells may weigh a ton or more.

Cassock ~ A robe sometimes worn by priests and bishops. Priests' cassocks are black. Bishops' cassocks are usually purple.

Catechist ~ A person licensed to prepare persons for Baptism, Confirmation, Reception and the Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows.

Cathedra ~ The special chair that a bishop sits in during a church service.

Cathedral ~ The Episcopal church that is the official church of a bishop of a diocese. Such churches are often indicated by the word Cathedral in their name. Cathedrals are usually in the charge of a priest who is referred to as the Dean of the Cathedral. Not all large churches are cathedrals; not all cathedrals are large. In Western New York: St. Paul’s Cathedral is located at 128 Pearl Street in downtown Buffalo.

Catholic ~ Literally, "universal" or "found everywhere". Though "Catholic" in many areas refers specifically to the Roman Catholic Church, "catholic" is used to refer Anglican, Syrian, Greek, Coptic, Russian and other churches. The Episcopal Church is a catholic church. Such churches generally accept the teachings of tradition as well as scripture, and usually accept the validity of one or more ancient creeds as the summary of the Christian faith.

CCM ~ See Called to Common Mission

CDI ~ See Church Development Institute

CDO Profile ~ Acronym for Church Deployment Office Profile. This instrument, used nationally, allows clergy and various lay employees of the church to describe their position, ministry skills, strengths and areas of interest.

Celebrant ~ The main priest in a Eucharist, mass, or communion; the priest who performs the consecration of the bread and wine; the celebrant may be assisted by other priests, deacons, chalice bearers, acolytes, etc.

Chancel ~ The portion of a church between the front row of pews and the altar; usually the place the choir sits; sometimes also called the "choir".

Chancellor ~ An attorney who acts as legal counsel to the bishop with respect to civil and canon law.

Chant ~ A musical recitation of words midway between reading and singing. In some Episcopal worship servcies the Psalm is often chanted. At times, especially on major feast days, the priest may chant all or a portion of the Eucharistic Prayer.

Chapel ~ 1) A place of worship lacking a parish congregation, though some chapels do have a permanent cleric. Chapels may be large or small, private or institutional. 2) A term for a place of Episcopal worship associated with a college, university, or seminary. 3) A small place of worship attached to a larger structure.

Chaplain ~ The minister in charge of a chapel or a minister to a group of people who are not organized as a mission or church, as in a hospital chaplain.

Chapter & Verse ~ The diocesan bookstore located at Trinity Church, 371 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo.

Choir ~ 1) The group of singers who chant or sing during a worship service. 2) The part of the church where the choir sits.

Choral Eucharist ~ A sung service of Holy Communion.

Christian Formation and Community Ministries Group ~ The part of the diocesan structure that oversees baptismal ministry development, Christian formation, congregations in renewal, diocesan mission and ministry, evangelism and stewardship. Includes the Canon for Mission.

Christian Life Model ~ A core framework defined by Robert Gallagher in his Congregational Development Manual. Built upon the principles of worship, doctrine and action, the Christian Life Model can be used by a congregation for self-assessment, as a framework for planning, as a way to focus members on the essentials of Christian life and as a resource to individuals in shaping a Rule of Life.

Church, local ~ The smallest social division of the Episcopal Church; above the church is the diocese, which is the primary unit of the Episcopal church; above the diocese is the province; above the province is the national church. Sometimes church refers to the local building; sometimes to the local congregation. See also parish, congregation, communicants, mission.

Church Acts ~ The official newspaper of the Diocese of Western New York. Published monthly, September through June.

Church Annual ~ The Episcopal Church Annual: the yearbook of the Episcopal Church containing names and addresses of all Episcopal organizations, dioceses, churches, clergy, etc. Sometimes also called the "Red Book".

Church Development Institute (CDI) ~ "A leadership training program focused on the ministry of developing the community and organizational life of congregations." (Congregational Development Manual)

Cleric - An ordained person, most often used to refer to priests and deacons, but may also refer to a bishop.

Clerical Directory ~ The Episcopal Clerical Directory: a biennial listing of all Episcopal clergy with short biographical paragraphs about each person including schooling, ordination, churches served, family information, address, service to the Episcopal Church.

Clergy ~ The group of ordained ministers of a church or denomination, as distinguished from lay persons. When used in distinction from laity, the term includes bishops, priests and deacons.

Clergy Compensation ~ The total of cash stipend, self-employment reimbursement, housing and utilities; payment by a congregation to a member of the clergy.

Clergy Equity Program ~ A voluntary program through which a congregation
provides a benefit to its cleric permitting the cleric to build equity sufficient to purchase a home upon retirement.

Clerk of the Vestry ~ A person responsible for taking minutes of vestry or mission council meetings. This person does not need to be a voting member of the group.

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) ~ A course that includes supervised experience in accredited hospitals, correctional institutions or parishes to train seminary students, clergy and those seeking certification as hospital chaplains how to minister effectively to individuals and families facing personal crises.

Commission on Ministry ~ A canonical body made up of both clergy and laity charged with assisting the Bishop in the determination of present and future needs for ministry in the diocese, the oversight of persons seeking ordination, the guidance and pastoral care of clergy and lay persons accountable to the Bishop, promoting of continuing education of clergy and lay professionals employed by the Church, and the development, training, utilization and affirmation of the ministry of the laity, including the licensing of lay persons as Administrators, Catechists, Eucharistic Ministers, Eucharistic Visitors, Preachers, Pastoral Care Ministers and Worship Leaders.

Communicants ~ The members of a local church who are eligible to receive communion.

Communication Department ~ The part of the diocesan structure which oversees diocesan communications including Church Acts and other print communications, diocesan pre-evangelism campaigns, media relations, public relations and website management.  Includes the communications officer.

Communion ~ The sacramental Christian meal, equivalent to the Lord's Supper; often called 'Eucharist' in Episcopal churches today.

Companion Diocese ~ An agreement between two dioceses, recognized by the Anglican Communion, which paves the way for ministry exchanges and joint mission and ministry efforts.

Compensation Groups ~ A system used to assure fair compensation of parochial clergy; approved by Diocesan Council as the policy to be used by all congregations.

Compline ~ A simple worship service to end the day.

Congregation ~ 1)The group of people who attend a particular church 2) Those present for a specific worship service.

Consecration ~ 1) A special service of dedication. 2) The service by which an ordained person becomes a bishop.

Convention ~ See Diocesan Convention and General Convention .

Corporation Church ~ As defined by Arlin Rothauge in Sizing up a Congregation for New Member Ministry, a congregation composed of 350- 500+ active members.  Also referred to as a Resource Church.

CPE ~ See Clinical Pastoral Education

Cotta ~ A short robe often worn by choir members.

Council ~ See Diocesan Council .

Cross Walk ~ A tradition in many communities, especially on Good Friday, for a group of people to process through town carrying a cross, stopping at various locations for prayer and meditation.

Crossing ~ 1) The main intersection of aisles at the front of the church; if viewed from above, these aisles form a large cross. Sometimes the altar is located at the crossing. 2) A hand gesture of making a cross pattern on one's body; also a gesture made by a priest or bishop over a congregation or upon a person at death or baptism.

Crucifer ~ The person  who bears the cross and who leads the procession into the church.

Crucifix ~ A Christian symbol consisting of a cross with a likeness of the body of Christ on it.

Curate ~ The title sometimes given to new assistant priests in large parishes. Curates generally work under the supervision of a senior minister and do not have full responsibility for their parish.

Cursillo ~ A contemporary Christian renewal movement in the Episcopal Church that employs an intense weekend retreat followed by spiritual disciplines and gatherings to help people explore and understand their individual callings to be Christian leaders. It began in the 1940s among Spanish Roman Catholics and spread to the US and the Episcopal Church in the 1950s and 60s.