Welcome to the Vergers Voice, the official news blog of the Vergers Guild of the Episcopal Church. Also known as the VGEC, we are located on the web at vergers.org and facebook.com/vergerguild the #1 online resources for vergers world-wide.

For information about submitting news and announcements to the blog, click HERE or contact [email protected].

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Verger Standard Time


by Ken Holloway, Editor of the Verger's Voice Blog [email protected]


It was a late Saturday night as I set the alarm for the next morning and put out my pocket contents, ready for a fast Sunday start. I was scheduled for Verger of the Day and Vestry Person of the Day duty, followed by our monthly vestry meeting.

I checked what I had put on my bedside table, “Let’s see now, wallet, watch, car keys, church keys, butane lighter, medication pouch, sewing kit, pectoral cross, prayer book, phone, coin change, pocket prayer beads, and Swiss Army knife. That should do it!”

The alarm went off as planned at 0545 hrs that cold Sunday morning. A quick shower was followed by toast, coffee and a kiss from my honey. Although the church is only 5 miles away, I prayed that the traffic would be light.

I arrived at St. Richard's a bit early at 6:45, unlocked the building, turned on the lights, checked the air conditioning system, checked the setup for eight o’clock Eucharist, started our coffee machines, put on cassock and surplice, lit the office candles, and led the morning prayer service at 7:15.

As the “eight o’clockers” arrived, I rechecked the reserve sacrament, set the readings in the lectionary book and briefed the LEM’s on the service, changed my surplice for my chimere, placed my virge at the head of the aisle, put new batteries in our priest’s wireless microphones, turned on the sound system and herded our altar party to the southwest corner of the narthex for prayer.

The 8:00 service went off without a hitch, so I entered the attendance in the register, took off my vestments and headed to the office to help with offertory accounting.

A famous “Round Rock Doughnut” and a cup of coffee helped me rally for the 10:30 Eucharist.
I re-set the lectionary, re-set the sermon text pages on the pulpit, reviewed the Altar Guild’s work, counted LEMs and acolytes, checked the reading assignments with the lectors, ID’d the acolyte assigned to assist in preparing the elements, and rounded up the choir to join us for prayer before the entering procession.

After the service, as I made the register entry, I remembered that I still had three events to go: finish Sunday vestry duty, attend the vestry meeting and prepare for and serve at our 5 P.M. Family Eucharist.

Our son called from North Carolina as I walked in the door just after two o’clock. Margaret and I enjoyed a long conversation with Chris and smiled proudly at each other as we hung up the phone. We had a sandwich; I brushed my teeth, and, stumbling to the bed, flopped down, instantly asleep.

I awoke suddenly only 40 minutes before the five o’clock service. Good grief, I’d forgotten to set the alarm! Launching into full blown “panic pace”, I re-loaded my pockets including aspirin, lighter, sewing kit, cough drops, extra microphone batteries.... you know the rest. I got my wallet, put car keys in my pocket, picked up my prayer book and cross and ran out to the car.  As I started the car I realized that I had left the church keys on the night stand, so I turned the car off, ran back, opened the door, and stumbled over our cat as I skidded on the kitchen floor. At my bedside, I frantically pocketed the church keys, put on the watch I saw lying there, and maintained “faster-than-a-speeding-bullet” pace back to the car.

I zoomed to church, completed all duties of the evening service, and arrived home ready to relax.

I went to our closet, and as I took off my shirt, discovered......that I was wearing two watches on my left wrist.

At that moment, I realized that I had, this day, touched the threshold of Duteil’s 4th axiom, which, of course, we all know as, “Verger Standard Time”.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Wait, There’s More – Try out our try.vergers.org offer



One of the big challenges in ministry is simply to "make it known." Our communications are designed to reach as wide an audience as we can. The VGEC is endorsing a "try before you buy" approach to prospective members world-wide.

One idea we've had is to offer a “Introductory Membership” for six months. This membership category gives full access to all VGEC resources to anyone who is interested in our ministry.

Whether this blog entry has reached you as an interested party or as a current member of the guild, it’s an opportunity to spread the word about the value of guild membership.

If you want to see what the guild does, check out vergers.org and facebook.com/vergerguild and youtube.com/vergertv to see what the VGEC has to offer. Oh, and don't forget this blog, the "Verger's Voice" at news.vergers.org! Then go to try.vergers.org to sign up for a 6-month free VGEC trial membership.

Once the 6-month period is up, we hope that each new member will chose to join us as a fully paid member. Paying our modest dues per year allows each of us to help the VGEC support vergers world-wide with education, communication, and fellowship opportunities.


And remember that all membership fees are now the same price all around the world. To learn more about membership in the Vergers' Guild, go to vergers.org/join/member.

Please join us!

Friday, January 17, 2014

Verger Workshop at Grace Cathedral, Topeka, Kansas



Kent Wingerson brings us up to date on a Verger workshop in the nation’s heartland:

"A gathering of eleven vergers and potential vergers attended a workshop at Grace Cathedral in Topeka, KS on Nov. 3, 2013. Kent Wingerson, on behalf of the cathedral and the Diocese of Kansas Liturgy Arts and Music committee, presented “got vergers?” which touched on the history of this ministry, and the varied responsibilities often involved. The agenda also addressed the various services and other ministries vergers coordinate with and help facilitate.

"The workshop was framed with the opportunity to worship in the Eucharist (with Baptisms) before and Evensong following, to observe how cathedral vergers function. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Vergers' Guild of the Episcopal Church also provided materials for all the participants.

"After a collegial lunch, processions and service duties were discussed, as well as resources available for verger training, and related vestments and liturgical accoutrements.

"We explained the division of procession and service duties for the normally scheduled two vergers, how to expand if additional vergers are involved for a major liturgy, and how to shrink the verger function if only one verger is serving.

"The topics we discussed included processions, verging during the liturgy, and attending to the Eucharistic vessels. For example, at Grace Cathedral, the beadle leads processions. The verger leads the Eucharistic ministers and clergy in the entering and departing processions. During the liturgy, lectors are escorted, the Gospel Procession is led by the beadle, and the preacher is verged to the pulpit. Our offertory customary denotes the beadle handling the alms basin while the verger leads the procession of alms and oblations. At communion vergers assist with vessel distribution and receive items back at the credence tables.

"This session was really worth the effort to prepare and conduct. All participants agreed that we must center on the activities and movements at hand and, above all,  “Stay Calm and Verge On!”

Thursday, January 2, 2014

50 Members Honored as "Fellows of the VGEC"

Margaret McLarty presents certificates
and virges to new "Fellows" at the 2013
Annual Conference in Nashville

The Vergers' Guild of the Episcopal Church recognized fifty members as "Fellows" at the 25th Annual Conference in Nashville. VGEC members who complete the VGEC Training Course are recognized each year at the conference as they receive a certificate of course completion and an official Training Course Virge. This year forty-seven members completed the course and three members were recognized as "Honorary Fellows."

"This is a real milestone for each verger who has completed the training course and it is exciting to be part of the recognition ceremony that takes place at the annual conference," said VGEC president Scott Smith. "With the class of 2013, we have a distinguished group of two hundred and eighty Fellows of the Guild. We saw the largest number of course completions that we have ever had in one year and it speaks to the popularity of the course and the critical role that it plays in the formation of our ministry."

Many members who completed their course this year attended the conference to receive their new virge and certificate in person. According to Ken Holloway, VGEC news manager, "Many of the recipients were seen testing the heft and balance of their virges as they departed the banquet hall and boarded buses for the conference hotel. It was great fun to watch and be a part of it."

Here is the official class of 2013:
  • Mr. James R. Adams
    Trinity Episcopal Church, Covington, KY, Diocese of Lexington
  • Mr. Ian Bass
    St Pauls Cathedral, Oklahoma City, OK, Diocese of Oklahoma
  • Mr. Lee Borden
    Church of the Epiphany, Tallassee, AL, Diocese of Alabama
  • Mr. Homer L. Bozarth
    Church of the Redeemer, Pendleton, OR, Diocese of Eastern Oregon
  • Mrs. Cheryl Lee Cantrall
    All Saints Episcopal Church, Lakeland, FL, Diocese of Central Florida
  • Ms. Vyonne Carter-Johnson
    Grace Episcopal Church, Houston, TX, Diocese of Texas
  • Ms. Susan Elizabeth Catlette
    Christ Church, Kensington, MD, Diocese of Washington
  • Mr. Charles G. Couch, Jr.
    Church of the Holy Comforter, Charlotte, NC, Diocese of North Carolina
  • Mr. Patrick Crawford
    St Marks Pro Cathedral, Hastings, NE, Diocese of Nebraska
  • The Rev. Peter D. D'Angio
    Trinity Episcopal Church, Covington, KY, Diocese of Lexington
  • Ms. Patricia M. D'Orazio
    St Marks Episcopal Church, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Diocese of Southeast Florida
  • Mr. Mark K Downs
    St Matthews Episcopal Church, McMinnville, TN, Diocese of Tennessee
  • Mr. Wm. George Fossey
    St Joseph of Arimathea, Hendersonville, TN, Diocese of Tennessee
  • Mr. Brandon Gabbard
    Trinity Episcopal Church, Covington, KY, Diocese of Lexington
  • Mr. Gary Gabbard
    Trinity Episcopal Church, Covington, KY, Diocese of Lexington
  • Mr. Justin Gabbard
    Trinity Episcopal Church, Covington, KY, Diocese of Lexington
  • Ms. Suzanne B. Gaines
    All Saints Episcopal Church, Lakeland, FL, Diocese of Central Florida
  • Mr. William Hooper Gleason (Honorary)
    Church of the Resurrection, Franklin, TN, Diocese of Tennessee
  • Mr. Sidney Silas Glynn
    All Saints Episcopal Church, Lakeland, FL, Diocese of Central Florida
  • Ms. Diane Miriam Grondin
    Christ Church, Quincy, MA, Diocese of Massachusetts
  • Mr. Horace S Harper PhD
    St Matthias Episcopal Church, Clermont, FL, Diocese of Central Florida
  • The Rev. Dr. Larry Reid Hensarling Jr.All Saints Episcopal Church, Lakeland, FL, Diocese of Central Florida
  • Mr. Lee Carrington Herbert
    Church of the Holy Comforter, Charlotte, NC, Diocese of North Carolina
  • Mr. William F. Himelberger
    St Pauls Episcopal Church, Romeo, MI, Diocese of Michigan
  • Mr. Roger Lyn Hoopengardnerm
    St Martins Episcopal Church, Williamsburg, VA, Diocese of Southern Virginia
  • Mr. Carle F. Howell
    Episcopal Church of Ascension, Dallas, TX, Diocese of Dallas
  • The Rev. Dr. Al W. Jenkins
    All Saints Episcopal Church, Lakeland, FL, Diocese of Central Florida
  • Mr. David Richard Jette (Honorary)
    Trinity Parish, New York, NY, Diocese of New York
  • Ms. Cheryl V. Josephson
    St Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church, Atlanta, GA, Diocese of Atlanta
  • Mr. Chris Klasing
    Christ Episcopal Church, Greenville, SC, Diocese of Upper South Carolina
  • Mr. Robert A Kuyoth
    Church of the Epiphany, Cape Coral, FL, Diocese of Southwest Florida
  • Mr. Russel D. Lawson
    Trinity Episcopal Church, Indianapolis, IN, Diocese of Indianapolis
  • Mr. Andrew D Leonie III
    Church of the Incarnation, Dallas, TX, Diocese of Dallas
  • Ms. Dorothy S. Marshall
    St Hilarys Episcopal Church, Fort Myers, FL, Diocese of Southwest Florida
  • Mrs. Margaret Peters McLarty (Honorary)
    St Andrews Episcopal Cathedral, Jackson, MS, Diocese of Mississippi
  • Mr. Patrick Wailes Murphy
    All Saints Episcopal Church, Lakeland, FL, Diocese of Central Florida
  • Mrs. Stacey Stoddard Murphy
    All Saints Episcopal Church, Lakeland, FL, Diocese of Central Florida
  • Mr. Lynn W. Neill, Jr.
    Episcopal Church of Ascension, Dallas, TX, Diocese of Dallas
  • Mr. Joe O'Brochta
    Trinity Episcopal Church, Covington, KY, Diocese of Lexington
  • Ms. Grace M Parker
    Christ Church Parish, Christchurch, VA, Diocese of Virginia
  • Mr. Robert G Pilmer
    St Francis Episcopal Church, Palos Verdes Estates, CA, Diocese of Los Angeles
  • Ms. Penny Ranson
    St Hilarys Episcopal Church, Fort Myers, FL, Diocese of Southwest Florida
  • Ms. Darry Rhine
    Trinity Episcopal Church, Covington, KY, Diocese of Lexington
  • Mrs. Gayle S. Saylors
    Christ Episcopal Church, Greenville, SC, Diocese of Upper South Carolina
  • Mr. Richard William Sturges Sr.
    St Peters Episcopal Church, Columbia, TN, Diocese of Tennessee
  • Mr. James Swearingen
    Trinity Episcopal Church, Covington, KY, Diocese of Lexington
  • Mr. Benjamin Williams
    Bethesda by the Sea Episcopal Church, Palm Beach, FL, Diocese of Southeast Florida
  • Mr. Kent D. Wingerson
    Grace Cathedral, Topeka, KS, Diocese of Kansas
  • Ms. Paula Fitzgerald Wolfe
    Trinity Episcopal Church, Covington, KY, Diocese of Lexington
  • Mr. David Wyly
    St Hilarys Episcopal Church, Fort Myers, FL, Diocese of Southwest Florida
To learn more about the course, click HERE.