Purpose of joining the Clergy

I've been reviewing the FAQs and I did a bit of forum searching but I have a small doubt regarding the Clergy. If anyone could shed some light on this issue it would be greatly appreciated.

What is the purpose of becoming part of the Clergy? I understand Clergy are guides, but I would think most Knights can be guides as well. Is there a difference in the content that one receives in training for Clergy?

I understand that in the United States, licensed ministers can officiate certain ceremonies, so that would be a good reason to become ordained. However, in my particular country, no religious ceremony is legally binding (for example, someone getting married would have to do two separate "weddings", one officiated by a judge, which is legally binding, and the other one with their church - optional - which is purely ceremonial and symbolic, but with no legal consequence whatsoever). Besides, my country also does not acknowledge syncretic religions, nor allows them to form non-profit organizations for taxation purposes.

What I guess I am asking is: in my particular case, is there any particular upside to becoming part of the Clergy, in terms of what I might learn, compared to just going through the Initiate > Apprentice > Knight route?

Thank you in advance.

Clergy have a specific responsibility to support the community/congregation of the Temple. The can take confession and preside over ceremonies, plus they undergo a deeper level of training in the religious aspects of Jediism.

They're not a million miles away from "Knights at the Temple", and the two tiers of training complement each other well.

While New Zealand may not recognize a civic role for clergy, we still must consider our own Temple.

Some people join the clergy for the additional depth of training. Others join because they were impressed by other members who were clergy and wanted to follow that example. A small group join because of the extra rank and imagined moral authority. They generally weed themselves out.

Hopefully, one joins the clergy because one feels called to that service. It can feel like an ethical imperative. There are no concrete rewards for being in the clergy. Much like becoming a knight, if you are doing it right then it means taking on responsibility for and within the Temple. More work, no particular glamor.

But the members of the Temple who have been served by the clergy might tell you that it was worth it.

Manu, my man! Great question. In this Temple, I would hope the longer you stay the more your gonna wanna know. I can only speak for my self and I am only speaking to you, it is up to the individual, u, how far how long and how much you a re willing to do. I have not regretted any choice to involve my self in this place. None. Difficulty and perfection is never demanded nor expected here. Don't try lolj/k. Here the clergy is very different. You can " collar up " , robe out or even pick tour own identification to mesh with or stand out..its all on you. LITERALLY. Where you take it is up to you. Seminary can be classes and reports or, searching and finding and defining and recreation. For me my purpose was evident. BUILD. Its different for every one. Seek and you will find. The fact that it's a spark says a lot friend. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.... with you Manu! I have an open door policy if u ever need. We are never alone in this place!

Manu wrote: Is there a difference in the content that one receives in training for Clergy?
is there any particular upside to becoming part of the Clergy, in terms of what I might learn

All lessons outside the seminary are useful to have to aid on the minister journey. The similarities with Seminary- and Apprentice training is that both have a strong supervision. Seminary is more specialized on a task that includes yourself and others together, Apprentice training is more focused on the individual path. There is difference in content of training and it can be a big difference, and sometimes is more close, but there are always possible ways to dilate, or close that gab a bit depending on preferences and possibilities of course.. :blush:

The upside of the work of a Clerk is that multiple people will smile by the work of the single clerk, :blink: and that the community will smile by the work of the Clergy as a whole; I think that one of the upside things of the seminary is to learn how to work with others, as much as how to apply it to help everyone.

~

These are all very good points. Thank you Manu for asking this because i was wondering it myself. i don't know if my time here will call me to the clergy but i will listen to the force and always go in the direction it pulls me. However i am curious if one could undergo training with the clergy at the same time as their training through the non clergy ranks of if they must be done one at a time?

Good question, Nate. You do have to complete the IP and be at least an initiate before you can begin the clerical training, but after that you can do the clerical training at the same time you are working on your apprenticeship, if that's where your path takes you. That's what I did. And I found that, like others said above, while the training in each is different, they do complement each other well (sometimes uncannily well).