Gallaudet, Thomas
A 19th-century American priest and the founder of Episcopal missionary work among the hard of hearing. Feast day: Aug. 27, along with Henry Winter Syle.
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Glossary
An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church
Glossary definitions adapted from An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians, edited by Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY.
Garth
A grassy quadrangle or garden surrounded by a cloister walk in a monastery, church, seminary, or college.
General Board of Examining Chaplains (GBEC)
The churchwide body, elected by General Convention, overseeing the General Ordination Examinations (GOE). The board prepares and administers the exam given annually to candidates for ordination.
General Convention
The General Convention is the bicameral legislature and chief policy-making body of The Episcopal Church, consisting of the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. The General Convention meets every three years to consider legislation, make policy, hold elections, adopt the churchwide budget, and amend the Constitution and Canons.
General Ordination Examination (GOE)
An annual test administered by the General Board of Examining Chaplains, encompassing seven broad topics, used to help determine a candidate’s readiness for ordination.
General Theological Seminary, The (GTS)
The oldest seminary of The Episcopal Church, founded in New York City in 1817. GTS affiliated with Virginia Theological Seminary in 2022 to share governance, resources, personnel, and programs, while remaining distinct entities.
Genuflection, or Genuflexion
A gesture of reverence performed by touching one knee to the floor (or lowering it toward the floor) while keeping the upper body upright, before returning to a standing position. Genuflection is not mentioned in the BCP, and is practiced most often in Anglo-Catholic congregations.
Gloria Patri
A short acclamation of praise used primarily in the Daily Offices: “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.”
Good Friday
The Friday before Easter Day, on which the church commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. Traditionally a day of fasting, acts of discipline, and self-denial.
Gospel
From an Old English term meaning, “good news,” the proclamation of salvation through Jesus Christ. Also, a literary genre describing Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. The four official Gospels of the New Testament are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.