Recorded Minister
Encyclopedia
A Recorded Minister was originally a male or female Quaker who was acknowledged to have a gift of spoken ministry.
The practice of recording, in a Monthly Meeting Minute, the acknowledgement that a Friend had a gift of spoken ministry began in the 1730s in London Yearly Meeting, according to Milligan's Biographical dictionary of British Quakers in commerce and industry
. The acknowledgement did not involve anything like ordination
or any payment, in view of early Friends' testimony against "Hireling Priests" . Acknowledgement did permit the Recorded Minister to attend at Yearly Meeting and Meeting for Sufferings
.
In London Yearly Meeting, the practice of recording Ministers was discontinued in 1924 .
While many Yearly Meetings have discontinued the practice of recording ministers, it is maintained by many others. Today, Friends are recorded as ministers as an acknowledgement of a variety of ministries, including teaching, chaplaincy
, and evangelical and pastoral ministry
The practice of recording, in a Monthly Meeting Minute, the acknowledgement that a Friend had a gift of spoken ministry began in the 1730s in London Yearly Meeting, according to Milligan's Biographical dictionary of British Quakers in commerce and industry
Milligan's Biographical dictionary of British Quakers in commerce and industry
The Biographical Dictionary of British Quakers in Commerce and Industry 1775-1920, by Edward H. Milligan, includes entries for some 2,800 people, arranged alphabetically...
. The acknowledgement did not involve anything like ordination
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
or any payment, in view of early Friends' testimony against "Hireling Priests" . Acknowledgement did permit the Recorded Minister to attend at Yearly Meeting and Meeting for Sufferings
Meeting for Sufferings
Meeting for Sufferings is an executive committee of Britain Yearly Meeting, the body which acts on behalf of members of the Religious Society of Friends in Great Britain and the Crown Dependencies...
.
In London Yearly Meeting, the practice of recording Ministers was discontinued in 1924 .
While many Yearly Meetings have discontinued the practice of recording ministers, it is maintained by many others. Today, Friends are recorded as ministers as an acknowledgement of a variety of ministries, including teaching, chaplaincy
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
, and evangelical and pastoral ministry