Verger

Description

Vergers perform administrative duties for churches and parishes, ensure equipment maintenance and support the parish priest or other superiors. They also perform assisting duties before and after church service such as tidying, readying the equipment and supporting the priest.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to verger:

church verger
sexton
parish verger
officer of the church
church officer
church warden

Minimum qualifications

No formal educational credential is generally required to work as a verger.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Verger is a Skill level 2 occupation.

Verger career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to verger.

street warden
tax clerk
bus route supervisor
cattle pedicure
mail clerk

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of verger. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of verger with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

pastoral worker
court clerk
court administrative officer
monk/nun
case administrator

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of verger.

  • Accounting techniques: The techniques of recording and summarising business and financial transactions and analysing, verifying, and reporting the results.
  • Bible texts: The content and interpretations of the bible texts, its different components, the different types of Bibles, and its history.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of verger.

  • Maintain storage facilities: Maintain or ensure the maintenance of cleaning equipment, heating or air conditioning of storage facilities and the temperature of premises.
  • Keep task records: Organise and classify records of prepared reports and correspondence related to the performed work and progress records of tasks.
  • Ensure equipment availability: Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.
  • Manage administrative systems: Ensure administrative systems, processes and databases are efficient and well managed and give the sound basis to work together with the administrative officer/staff/professional.
  • Respond to enquiries: Respond to enquiries and requests for information from other organisations and members of the public.
  • Manage accounts: Manage the accounts and financial activities of an organisation, supervising that all the documents are correctly maintained, that all the information and calculations are correct, and that proper decisions are being made.
  • Prepare religious services: Perform the necessary actions for the preparation of religious services and ceremonies, such as gathering the necessary props and materials, cleaning tools, writing and practicing sermons and other speeches, and other preparation activities.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of verger. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Budgetary principles: Principles of estimating and planning of forecasts for business activity, compile regular budget and reports.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of verger. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Interpret religious texts: Interpret the contents and messages of religious texts in order to develop spiritually and help others in their spiritual development, to apply the appropriate passages and messages during services and ceremonies, or for theological learning.
  • Follow work schedule: Manage the sequence of activities in order to deliver completed work on agreed deadlines by following a work schedule.
  • Build community relations: Establish affectionate and long-lasting relationships with local communities, e.g. by organising special programms for kindergarden, schools and for dissabled and older people, raising awareness and receiving community appreciation in return.
  • Use different communication channels: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
  • Arrange equipment repairs: Arrange for equipment repairs when necessary.
  • Observe confidentiality: Observe the set of rules establishing the nondisclosure of information except to another authorised person.
  • Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
  • Perform ritual cleaning activities: Clean equipment and tools according to set traditions and rites, handling the materials as prescribed.
  • Follow given instructions: Follow instructions to achieve goals and meet deadlines.
  • Manage fundraising activities: Initiate fundraising activities managing the place, teams involved, causes and budgets.
  • Assist in church service: Assist the priest or other religious official in the activities performed during a church service, such as assistance in handling and cleaning materials, assisting in performing ceremonial rites, and other church service activities.
  • Anticipate installation maintenance: Prepare resources and activities to execute installation maintenance, according to budget needs.
  • Promote religious activities: Promote events, attendance to religious services and ceremonies, and the participation in religious traditions and festivities in a community in order to enhance the role religion plays in that community.

ISCO group and title

5153 – Building caretakers


References
  1. Verger – ESCO
Last updated on November 9, 2022

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