CHURCH WARDEN: A MINISTRY OF SERVICE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
CHURCH WARDEN: A MINISTRY OF SERVICE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
A talk delivered to the Church Wardens of St. Paul Catholic Church, Airport Road, Benin City, on Saturday, 21st June, 2025
By
Prof. Sylvester Idemudia Odia, KSP
(Prof. of Epistemology and Philosophy of Culture, Dept. of Philosophy, University of Benin)
&
Founder/CEO Epistemic Concept
(https://epistemicconcept.com/wp; Tel: 08037192977; Email: sylvester.odia@uniben.edu )
Introduction:
There are different ministries in the Catholic Church. By ministry I mean certain roles performed by Catholics in the Catholic Church towards the propagation of the word of God and the salvation of souls. Some examples of ministries in the Catholic Church are:
- Apostles: This refers to the office of the Bishop in the Catholic Church. This office of Apostles includes prophecy, evangelization, pastoring, and teaching (Ephesians 4: 11 – 13). The close collaborators of the bishops are the priests and deacons; and by extension the catechists and other laity who head different societies and groups in the church that propagate the gospel of Christ.
- Service Groups: This refers to different lay apostolates that actively make liturgical and other functions or services in the Church orderly and coordinated. Here we have groups like the Church Wardens, the Choir, the Alter Servers, etc.
- Personal Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Catholics possess personally the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit decides which of His gifts He wants to manifest in each baptized and confirmed Catholic for the good of all. Always remember that each baptized Catholic is a priest, prophet and king. Some of these gifts include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues, interpreting of tongues, discerning of spirits, etc. (1 Corinthians 12: 4 – 11). All Catholics who are apostles and in service groups are gifted with one or more of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Each one should discern his or her spiritual gifts.
This talk is centered on the Church Wardens as one of the ministries of service in the Catholic Church.
The Duties of the Church Warden:
The duties of the Church Warden include the following:
- Maintaining protocol at liturgical celebrations.
- Maintaining order towards efficient offertory collection.
- May partake in the counting of collections.
- Taking records of attendance at different church functions and programmers.
- Helping out during emergencies.
Categories of Church Members:
As a Church Warden discharges his or her duties in the Church, he encounters different categories of persons. Always remember that the Church is open to all categories of persons – good and bad, virtuous and vitious, righteous and unrighteous, holy and sinful. This is made clear in the Parable of the Net and Different Kinds of Fish (Matt. 13: 47 – 50).
Also, some professed Catholics are “wheat” in the Church who need to be nurtured by the sacramental life of the Church. Your duty is to help them get nourished. Some professed Catholics are “weeds” in the Church. Your duty is to prevent them from distracting others and hindering active participation during liturgical celebrations (Matt. 13: 24 – 30 – The Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat).
In addition, from the Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matt. 22: 1 – 14) a Church Warden should be able to know practicing Catholics among Church members, and decide who carries the Eucharistic offering and other church functions.
The Ministry of Service as Restitution for Sins:
As members of the Church militant, we commit sins in many ways – in the neglect of our responsibilities as parents, in the neglect of our duties or exploitation of our bosses or customers/clients/patients/students at our places of work, in the neglect of a lifestyle that enhances our health, in the neglect of self-development towards spiritual growth and proficiency, etc. And, for those who say they are righteous, they sometimes share in the sins of others by “counsel, command, consent, provocation, praise or flattery, concealment, partner in sin, by silence, by defending the ill done” (A Catechism of Christian Doctrine, Revised Edition, 1971, No. 329, pg. 58).
Taking a clue from the Parable of the Dishonest Manager (Lk 16: 1 – 13) whom the master praised for his smartness about the things of the world, Church Wardens can offer their ministry of service as restitutions for their sins. This requires that you work without looking for and accepting any reward for the work you do and, in the process of doing the work, you do not sin. It also means that you do not insult anyone who offends or disobeys you; you do not steal from the money used for offering; and you do not borrow money from the association for you may not be able to pay it back. So, offer your work as a Church Warden for the forgiveness of your sins, and for God’s blessings upon the work of your hands. The article published in Veritas: Catholic Archdiocese of Benin Newspaper explains more on this (Veritas July 2024 Edition: Sacrifice and the Magnetism of Good (Part Two) – Epistemic Concept).
Conclusion: Consider yourself blessed to be chosen as a Church Warden. Give it your time and sacrifice and discharge your duties with happiness and joy. Embrace the challenge to avoid sinning while discharging your duties as a Church Warden and offer your service as a restitution for your sins and shortcomings. By so doing, God’s mercy and Favours will shine upon you with tremendous blessings on your family. May St. Michael the Archangel, the Protector of the Church, intercede for us now and always. Amen!