Clergy house

Rectory is a term for the offices or the home of a priest or pastor.

Synonyms for the term are rectory or parsonage. In the past, presbyteries were particularly mostly used as a farm in the rural areas and therefore referred to in the south of the German-speaking world as a parsonage. In some regions within the North German Protestant churches also referred to as the " Pastorei ". Historically also " Archipresbyterat ", " priesthood ", " Archdeacon " or " diaconate " to be found as labels for the office home or the official residence of a clergyman.

Historically

The strict separation in a residential building and a neighboring building for agriculture differed in many localities the pastorate of the usual farmhouses. The Rectory often also included school or confirmation spaces.

A crucial turning point in the history of the parish house presented the Reformation represents the abolition of celibacy for pastors meant the collection of parish women and thus also whole parish families in the evangelical presbyteries. Prestigious model for the role of minister's wife and of its tendency to open and hospitable house was Martin Luther's wife, Katharina von Bora. Pastor children often came to enjoy an above-average education. Many important personalities in very different lines of business have grown up in a parsonage.

More recently, changed the role of the pastor's wife ( and the now well existing parish men) and, consequently, the importance of the rectory in particular by increasing their own employment again.

Presence

In the churches of the EKD pastors are usually obliged, if a parsonage is available to rent this and to inhabit. The same applies to Roman Catholic priest.

Since the 1970s, the continued existence of the presbyteries has been increasingly discussed. It was completely different aspects of meaning:

• Pastor in working-class areas or problematic neighborhoods felt the houses often unduly large.
• Living alone pastor complained too much living space.
• Through the official residence requirement pastor can build or purchase their own home ownership until shortly before retirement.
• Basic renovations or building maintenance overwhelm church congregations sometimes. This is especially true for particularly old or large parish churches.
• The occupancy of listed buildings requires major concessions of the residents.
• Pastor in restricted service ratios have despite lower salaries the same apartment at the same conditions to rent as office holders in a full-time job.
• Self-employed spouses, it is not usually allowed to pursue their work from home or open an office in the rectory.

May be approved in some country churches, the regulations are since the 1990s in the sense pre- mounted criticism been checked and partially changed so that reduced at the request of churches and pastors apartments or employment of relatives. Alternative to the obligation to obtain an official residence, a residence obligation, ie the obligation to purchase an apartment just within the parish or the area of ​​responsibility are discussed. In 2006, a decision of the Spring Synod of the Evangelical Church of Electoral Hesse stressed - Waldeck the basic adherence to the requirement that their local pastor.