By David C. Nwanekpe, D.D
Rector, Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit, Bronx, NY
Chaplain, Council of Knights and Ladies (CONNAM, USA)
Abstract
This paper examines the permissibility and theological legitimacy of the preaching band (Genevan band) as a component of clerical attire worn by Anglican priests, regardless of whether they are preaching. It further considers its compatibility with the cope in liturgical settings. Drawing from canonical tradition, liturgical manuals, and contemporary Anglican usage—particularly within the Church of Nigeria—this paper argues that the preaching band is an enduring symbol of the clerical teaching office and is not limited to preaching contexts. The study also establishes that the preaching band may be worn together with the cope during non-eucharistic services without liturgical impropriety.
1. Introduction
The preaching band, a hallmark of post-Reformation clerical attire, has often been narrowly associated with the act of preaching. However, Anglican ecclesiology and liturgical tradition present the clerical office as continuous and holistic, extending beyond the sermon to embody a public theological witness. This paper investigates the legitimacy of using the preaching band by priests whether or not they are assigned to preach in a given liturgy, and examines its appropriateness when worn with the cope.
2. Historical and Canonical Context
The origins of the preaching band can be traced to the academic and Reformed traditions of the 16th and 17th centuries. In England, it emerged as a sign of learned ministry, replacing the medieval amice in non-eucharistic vesture. The Canons Ecclesiastical of 1604, received in various forms across the Anglican Communion, do not prohibit its general use by clergy.
In the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), neither the Revised Canons nor the Book of Common Prayer (2007) impose restrictions on the band, nor do they tie its use exclusively to preaching moments (Church of Nigeria, 2007).
Moreover, the Lambeth Conference Report of 1968 reaffirmed the value of liturgical diversity within Anglicanism, encouraging local customs that reflect dignity and reverence in worship. The preaching band falls into this category and has historically been incorporated into full choir dress, even when the wearer is not the preacher of the day (Lambeth Conference, 1968).
3. Liturgical Usage and Symbolism
In the Anglican tradition, the preaching band is considered part of clerical choir dress, especially when worn with a cassock and surplice. According to Francis W. Pitt in Clerical Vesture and Church Ornament, the band “may be worn by clergy attending service in choir dress, with or without the responsibility of preaching” (Pitt, 1959).
Percy Dearmer’s The Parson’s Handbook also affirms this, noting that it symbolizes “the clergy’s teaching role and ministerial authority” (Dearmer, 1899).
Importantly, the preaching band may also be worn with a cope. The cope, a liturgical vestment used in processions, solemn Evensong, Benedictions, and other non-eucharistic rites, is customarily worn with a stole or preaching scarf. In such settings, the preaching band becomes not only permissible but theologically appropriate. It provides a visible sign of the cleric’s role as a teacher and pastor while preserving the visual and liturgical dignity of the cope.
This view was clearly articulated in Theology of Clergy Attire in Contemporary Anglican Practice, a paper presented by David C. Nwanekpe at the 2023 New York Conference of Anglican Clergy in New York / New Jersey, which stated:
“If a priest chooses to wear the preaching band together with the cope during a Eucharistic service, it implies that the cope would need to be removed at the point of consecration of the elements. This is because the consecration requires the proper Eucharistic vestments, typically the chasuble.”
However, in non-Eucharistic services, it is generally permissible to wear the preaching scarf, academic hood, or stole, depending on the customs and liturgical traditions of the province to which the priest belongs.
“The use of the preaching band beneath the cope is not a contradiction but a reinforcement of ministerial presence during non-eucharistic ceremonial functions” (Nwanekpe, 2023).
4. Theological Interpretation
Theologically, the clerical role is not episodic but continuous. The preaching band symbolizes the minister’s perpetual teaching office, grounded in the apostolic commission to “teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19–20). Its use is not merely functional but symbolic, bearing witness to the cleric’s commitment to orthodoxy, instruction, and pastoral responsibility—whether preaching or not.
When worn with the cope, the preaching band upholds the theological significance of the priest’s identity as a teacher in the Church. Since the cope is not a Eucharistic vestment and does not require a stole, the preaching band serves as a fitting accessory, affirming continuity in office and authority. The presence of the band under the cope during liturgical processions and solemn services expresses the dual dignity of liturgical leadership and theological responsibility.
5. Contemporary Practice in the Church of Nigeria
Clergy in the Church of Nigeria regularly wear the preaching band during synods, processions, and non-sacramental liturgies. Archdeacons, Canons, and Bishops often include it as part of formal clerical attire in public functions, academic convocations, and ecumenical gatherings. These practices underscore the symbolic—not just functional—value of the band.
The pairing of the preaching band with the cope has become increasingly visible in cathedral and diocesan events. No authoritative text from the Church of Nigeria currently prohibits such usage, affirming its acceptance in local liturgical custom.
6. Conclusion
The preaching band is not a functional vestment limited to the pulpit but a symbol of clerical identity and ministerial authority within the Anglican tradition. Its use, even when not preaching and when paired with a cope, is both historically and theologically valid. There exists no canonical, liturgical, or theological basis for prohibiting its usage in such contexts within the Church of Nigeria and the wider Anglican Communion.
In fact, its dignified symbolism enhances the ecclesiastical witness of the priesthood in worship and procession.
Works Cited
- Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). The Book of Common Prayer. Abuja: Church of Nigeria Press, 2007.
- Dearmer, Percy. The Parson’s Handbook. London: Oxford University Press, 1899.
- Lambeth Conference. Report of the Lambeth Conference of 1968. London: SPCK, 1968.
- Moss, C.B. A Manual for Clergy. London: Mowbrays, 1958.
- Nwanekpe, David C. Theology of Clergy Attire in Contemporary Anglican Practice. Paper presented to the House of Clergy, New York /New Jersey Conference, 2023.
- Pitt, Francis W. Clerical Vesture and Church Ornament. London: Faith Press, 1959.
- The Canons of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). Revised Edition. Abuja: Church of Nigeria.
