M 

MBTI ~ See Myers Briggs Typology Indicator.

M. Div. ~ Master of Divinity; the basic American theological degree.

Mass ~ a name for the Eucharistic Service. Used by some Episcopalians, this term is more commonly used in the Roman Catholic tradition.

Maundy Thursday ~ The day in the church calendar that commemorates the meal at which Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharist or Holy Communion. Maundy is derived from the Latin word meaning mandate or command, and refers to the command “Love one another, as I have loved you,” that Jesus gave to his disciples after washing their feet on that day.

Ministry Development Grants ~ In WNY, a budget category used for grants by Diocesan Council and Deanery Councils that further the ministry of the church.

Ministry of the Baptized ~ See Baptismal Ministry .

Mission ~ 1. A local Episcopal congregation that is not yet incorporated and is under direct jurisdiction of the bishop. The difference between mission and parish status relates to legal status under secular and canon law. 2. Outreach ministry.

Mission Council ~ An elected group responsible to the bishop and the congregation for the temporal affairs of a mission.

Miter/mitre ~ The liturgical hat or head dress worn by bishops.

Morning Prayer ~ A morning worship service without communion.

Myers Briggs Typology Indicator ~ A test that assesses basic personality traits denoted by the letters E or I; N or S; F or T; and P or J in various combinations to describe the preferred ways different people deal with the world.

N 

Narthex ~ A foyer that opens to the nave of a church.

National Church ~ The Episcopal Church (See ECUSA).

Nave ~ The main part of a church where the congregation sits.

NDBI ~ Financial term; Acronym for Net Disposable Budget Income. An annual amount taken from a congregation's annual parochial report and used in the Fair Share calculation.

Network of Religious Communities ~ Western New York ecumenical organization formed from a merger of buffalo Area Metropolitain Ministries (BAMM) and the Buffalo Council of Churches.

O 

Operating Funds ~ The general fund; the fund within which the use of undesignated gifts is accounted for. Most commonly contains expenses pertaining to recurring expenditures.

Ordination ~ A special service during which an individual accepts holy orders.

Our Little Roses ~ An orphanage for girls located in San Pedro sula, Honduras, sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras.

P

Palm Sunday ~ The Sunday before Easter. In an Episcopal Church, members of the congregation carry real palms during the service; in some churches, the tradition is that palms from one year are saved, dried and later burned to make the ashes used at the next year's Ash Wednesday service.

Parish ~ A congregation that is incorporated under NYS law; unaided parishes are under the ecclesiastical direction of a rector, aided parishes are subject to a local canon that provides for increased oversight by the bishop and may be served by a vicar who serves at the pleasure of the bishop. the difference gbewtween parish and mission status related to legal status defined by secualr and canon law. (Contrast: Mission). Familiarly, and local congregation.

Parish Nurse ~ A part tme volunteer who works with the priest and vestry to identify congregatyional health needs and promote whole person health; provide and coordinate educational classes to enable wellness and prevent illness; and provide personal health counseling, spiritual support, health screening and referrals for members of a congregation as needed.

Parochial Report ~ The annual report frm each congregation mandated by national canons. The report includes membership information, sunday attendance figures, financial information, etc.

Paschal Candle ~ A candle, lit on Easter, whose flame burns from the Easter Vigil through Pentacost and at baptisms. It symbolizes the gift of eternal life that Christ's resurrection gave to the world.

Passion ~ In the church, the suffering of Christ in the hours before his death on the cross.

Pastoral Church ~ As defined by Arlin Rothauge in Sizing up a Congregation for New Member Ministry, a congregation composed of 50-150 active members.

PB ~ An acronym for the Presiding Bishop.

Peace, The ~ also known as Passing the Peace; a ritual in the Episcopal Church in which members of the congregation, including the clergy, greet one another. The priest says, "The Peace of the Lord be always with you." The congregation responds, "And also with you." Immediately after these words people shake hands and greet or sometimes embrace in the church.

PECUSA ~ An acronym for the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America

Pension Fund ~ the Church Pension Fund; the retirement program for clergy and other church workers of the Episcopal Church

Prayer Book ~ a reference to the Book of Common Prayer, the standard worship book of the Episcopal Church.

Presiding Bishop ~ The elected chief administrator and spiritual head of the Episcopal Church, the primate of ECUSA. (Note: ECUSA does not give the title archbishop to its primate, though this is a custom in many other Anglican churches.)

Priest ~ One of three ordained ministries of  the Episcopal church, the other two being deacon and bishop.

Procession ~ The line of choir, clergy, acolytes, crucifer, torchbearers and others walking into a church to begin a service.

Program Church ~ As defined by Arlin Rothauge in Sizing up a Congregation for New Member Ministry, a congregation composed of 150-350 active members.

Province ~ One of the major organizational divisions of the Episcopal Church. Western New York is part of Province II, which also includes the dioceses of Rochester, Central New York, Albany, New York, Long Island, New Jersey and Newark.