A clergyman is usually an ordained member of a religious order who is responsible for his congregation’s spiritual well-being. Clergy members are trained in their religion’s or sect’s various rituals and are called upon to perform these rites at various functions or significant life events such as birth, coming-of-age, marriage, and death. Clergy are frequently asked to teach and spread the fundamental concepts of their religion to their congregations or the general public. Many clergymen also serve as spiritual counselors, assisting people with personal or social issues and providing encouragement to the sick and those in need.
In the Western tradition, a clergyman is usually required to complete training that culminates in ordination, which grants him official recognition the church to perform rites and teach the church’s precepts. Most clergy are ordained after attending seminary — a school specializing in the teachings of the church that founded it — and taking certain vows and performing rites unique to their religion or sect. As part of the ordination process, many clergy now earn degrees in psychology, mental health, or counseling.
After being ordained, a clergyman is usually assigned to a congregation so that he can attend to the needs of the congregation’s members. Clergymen perform ceremonies and rites related to the congregation’s spiritual life in most Western religious traditions. Baptism, the administration of sacraments, marriage, circumcision, confession, and funerals or last rites are some of these ceremonies and rites, depending on the denomination.
One of a clergyman’s main responsibilities is to teach his church’s doctrine. Preaching from the pulpit, leading study groups, or overseeing programs that teach the doctrine to the congregation’s children, such as Catholic catechism classes, are all examples of this. Many Western religions believe in proselytizing or evangelizing to spread their teachings. Clergymen are frequently in charge of organizing and leading the programs that churches use to spread their teachings to others.
A clergyman is frequently called upon to provide encouragement or assistance to those who are afflicted or in need. Clergymen may work in hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, or prisons. Clergy oversee efforts the church to help provide for the material needs of the elderly or poor in many religions. Occasionally, clergy assistance takes the form of advice or counsel. Many clergymen meet with members of their congregation to help them make decisions, solve problems, or provide marriage or parent-child relationship counseling.