Knowledge

Sexton (office)

Source 📝

27: 124:
Historically in North America and the United Kingdom the "sexton" was sometimes a minor municipal official responsible for overseeing the town graveyard. In the United Kingdom the position still exists today, related to management of the community's graveyard, with such sextons usually employed by
233:
Other maintenance tasks not handled by a contract service or church volunteers, such as: the replacement of light bulbs, returning premises to a neat and orderly state following services and events, disposal of trash (rubbish), running any local errands or trips that are needed by the church, and
167:
refers to himself as sexton, for example. In modern times, grave digging and maintenance of the cemetery is usually done by an outside contractor. The general duties of a modern sexton may include:
194:
Liaison with any routine contract maintenance and supply companies (regarding: large maintenance projects, fire protection equipment, pest control, kitchen and worship materials, etc.)
483: 360: 335: 223:
Maintaining the grounds (grass mowing, hedge/shrub trimming and tree pruning, weed control, watering plants, snow removal, fall clean up, and other
310: 214:
Logistics for regular services and events on church calendar (chairs and tables, decorating, lighting, acoustics, audio and video, etc.).
172: 488: 285: 462: 367: 339: 493: 145:
meaning "custodian of sacred objects". "Sexton" represents the popular development of the word via the
390: 314: 266: 184: 26: 432: 157:
Among the traditional duties of the sexton in small parishes was the digging of graves—the
31: 175:(heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) units, hot water systems, kitchen equipment, 8: 36: 220:
Small building repairs (painting, drywall/plaster work, replacing ceiling tiles, etc.).
203:
Tasks involving security (locking doors, operating security system, etc.), and safety (
458: 176: 102: 289: 158: 171:
Operation and maintenance of mechanical systems, such as: refrigerators, boilers,
204: 138: 477: 249: 113:. In smaller places of worship, this office is often combined with that of 224: 146: 419: 208: 134: 118: 110: 106: 88: 188: 109:
charged with the maintenance of its buildings and/or an associated
98: 261: 245: 180: 163: 114: 311:"The Episcopal Diocese of California Employment Opportunities" 240:
Report to supervisors (about tasks completion, mishaps, etc.).
230:
Regular cleaning (vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, mopping, etc.)
455:
Rotas, Rules and Rectors – How to Thrive being a Churchwarden
244:
In many UK churches nowadays, where neither a sexton nor a
200:
Stocking supplies (paper towels, toilet paper, soap, etc.)
484:
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations
34:
illustration: "The Goblin and the sexton" (published in
248:
is employed, these duties are likely to fall to the
446: 433:"Dictionary of Occupational Titles, Fourth Edition" 475: 197:Ordering and receiving supplies and equipment. 211:testing, first aid kit maintenance, etc.). 25: 452: 476: 217:Emergency response during bad weather. 125:the town/parish or community council. 128: 457:. London: Matador. pp. 12–14. 361:"Ferryhill Council job description" 13: 336:"Falmouth Town Council staff list" 66:Church, congregation, or synagogue 14: 505: 117:. Larger establishments, such as 489:Local Christian church officials 435:. U.S. Department of Labor. 1991 121:, may employ a team of sextons. 425: 412: 384: 353: 328: 303: 278: 1: 420:Hamlet by William Shakespeare 272: 313:. 2007-11-19. Archived from 7: 286:"St Thomas' Church History" 255: 183:systems (i.e., gas, water, 10: 510: 453:Clements, Matthew (2018). 234:other miscellaneous tasks. 86: 391:Oxford English Dictionary 152: 75: 70: 60: 50: 45: 24: 237:Following building code. 133:The words "sexton" and " 137:" both derive from the 267:Robert Newman (sexton) 494:Ecclesiastical titles 32:Hablot Knight Browne 422:Accessed 2007-12-04 105:, congregation, or 37:The Pickwick Papers 21: 418:Project Gutenberg 129:Origin of the name 19: 464:978-1-78901-631-4 177:electrical system 85: 84: 501: 469: 468: 450: 444: 443: 441: 440: 429: 423: 416: 410: 388: 382: 381: 379: 378: 372: 366:. Archived from 365: 357: 351: 350: 348: 347: 338:. Archived from 332: 326: 325: 323: 322: 307: 301: 300: 298: 297: 288:. Archived from 282: 62:Activity sectors 29: 22: 18: 509: 508: 504: 503: 502: 500: 499: 498: 474: 473: 472: 465: 451: 447: 438: 436: 431: 430: 426: 417: 413: 389: 385: 376: 374: 370: 363: 359: 358: 354: 345: 343: 334: 333: 329: 320: 318: 309: 308: 304: 295: 293: 284: 283: 279: 275: 258: 205:emergency light 185:fire protection 155: 131: 91: 78: 63: 53: 52:Occupation type 41: 17: 12: 11: 5: 507: 497: 496: 491: 486: 471: 470: 463: 445: 424: 411: 383: 352: 327: 302: 276: 274: 271: 270: 269: 264: 257: 254: 242: 241: 238: 235: 231: 228: 221: 218: 215: 212: 201: 198: 195: 192: 154: 151: 149:"Segrestein". 139:Medieval Latin 130: 127: 83: 82: 79: 76: 73: 72: 68: 67: 64: 61: 58: 57: 54: 51: 48: 47: 43: 42: 30: 16:Church officer 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 506: 495: 492: 490: 487: 485: 482: 481: 479: 466: 460: 456: 449: 434: 428: 421: 415: 408: 404: 400: 396: 392: 387: 373:on 2011-10-03 369: 362: 356: 342:on 2008-12-22 341: 337: 331: 317:on 2018-04-18 316: 312: 306: 292:on 2011-05-15 291: 287: 281: 277: 268: 265: 263: 260: 259: 253: 251: 250:churchwardens 247: 239: 236: 232: 229: 226: 222: 219: 216: 213: 210: 206: 202: 199: 196: 193: 190: 186: 182: 178: 174: 170: 169: 168: 166: 165: 160: 150: 148: 144: 140: 136: 126: 122: 120: 116: 112: 108: 104: 100: 96: 90: 80: 74: 69: 65: 59: 55: 49: 44: 39: 38: 33: 28: 23: 454: 448: 437:. Retrieved 427: 414: 406: 402: 398: 394: 386: 375:. Retrieved 368:the original 355: 344:. Retrieved 340:the original 330: 319:. Retrieved 315:the original 305: 294:. Retrieved 290:the original 280: 243: 162: 156: 142: 132: 123: 94: 92: 77:Related jobs 35: 225:landscaping 159:gravedigger 143:sacristanus 71:Description 478:Categories 439:2007-12-04 407:segerstein 377:2009-06-26 346:2009-06-26 321:2007-12-04 296:2007-12-04 273:References 147:Old French 119:cathedrals 87:See also: 46:Occupation 403:sacristan 209:exit sign 191:systems). 135:sacristan 111:graveyard 107:synagogue 89:Sacristan 81:Sacristan 256:See also 399:sacrist 393:, s.v. 99:officer 56:Officer 40:, 1837) 461:  395:sexton 262:Gabbai 246:verger 227:work). 187:, and 181:piping 179:, and 164:Hamlet 153:Duties 115:verger 103:church 97:is an 95:sexton 20:Sexton 371:(PDF) 364:(PDF) 189:sewer 141:word 101:of a 459:ISBN 173:HVAC 161:in 480:: 405:, 401:, 397:, 252:. 93:A 467:. 442:. 409:. 380:. 349:. 324:. 299:. 207:/

Index


Hablot Knight Browne
The Pickwick Papers
Sacristan
officer
church
synagogue
graveyard
verger
cathedrals
sacristan
Medieval Latin
Old French
gravedigger
Hamlet
HVAC
electrical system
piping
fire protection
sewer
emergency light
exit sign
landscaping
verger
churchwardens
Gabbai
Robert Newman (sexton)
"St Thomas' Church History"
the original
"The Episcopal Diocese of California Employment Opportunities"

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.