by The Rev. Matthew Addington
Have you ever wondered why the Episcopal Church has acolytes? Where did this tradition
come from? What purpose do (did) acolytes serve? These answers may surprise you.
The word acolyte comes from the Greek word akolouthos, meaning helper, follower, or
assistant. This seems very generic for the role the early acolytes served. In the 2nd and into the
third century, Christians were heavily persecuted, which meant followers of Jesus were forced
to meet unde...
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