Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica has taken on more and more of a role as the public face of the Order within the U.S.A., and we are often called upon to interact with various public officials, the media, etc. in our official roles as members of the clergy of E.G.C. We continue to use the official Forms of Address document summarized in the COLMH. However, those forms are of little use when interacting with the public as an official clerical representative of the Gnostic Catholic Church. Government officials and the media are accustomed to using certain forms of address, such as “Reverend,” when dealing with clergy of various denominations; and our descent from the French Gnostic Church entitles our ordained clergy to use that style in a manner consistent with both our history and contemporary contexts. Further, it has been noted that E.G.C. clergy have been using a variety of clerical styles of address for many years, in a haphazard manner.
Therefore, the U.S. Supreme Grand Council has adopted the following styles of address for use by ordained E.G.C. clergy within U.S.G.L. when interacting as such with members of the public (the name ‘Dana Smith’ is used as a sample name).
Deacon (not yet KEW): Brother/Sister Dana Smith.
Deacon (KEW), Priest or Priestess: The Reverend Dana Smith (abbrev.: Rev. Dana Smith); Reverend Smith or Reverend Brother/Sister Smith.
Bishop: The Very Reverend Dana Smith, Reverend Smith or Reverend Brother/Sister Smith.
Archbishop: The Right Reverend Dana Smith, Reverend Smith or Reverend Brother/Sister Smith.
Primate & Presiding Bishop:The Most Reverend Dana Smith, Reverend Smith or Reverend Brother/Sister Smith.
Individuals with nonbinary gender identity may substitute Sibling or Sib for Brother/Sister.
The following abbreviations may be appended to the printed name and signature by ordained E.G.C. clergy:
Priest/ess: Pr. Gn. (Presbyteros Gnostikos)
Bishop: Ep. Gn. (Episkopos Gnostikos)When combining with the M∴M∴M∴ degree designation, these abbreviations come after the degree.Example: The Very Reverend Dana Smith, VII° Ep. Gn.Crosses placed before the name or signature should be consistent with the individual’s degree in M∴M∴M∴. Bishops may preface their name with “Tau” or T. When this is done, the cross should be omitted.
For consistency, the S.G.C. discourages the use by clergy of styles other than those specified above.
