The Priests We Meet in Stories
James Runcie’s Grantchester Mysteries introduced readers to Fr. Sidney Chambers, a Church of England vicar and honorary canon who investigates an implausible number of deaths between sermons and parish meetings. Then there is Paul McCusker’s Father Gilbert, a former Scotland Yard detective who becomes an Anglican parish priest in The Body Under the Bridge and Death in the Shadows. Jan Karon’s Mitford novels feature Father Tim Kavanagh, an Anglican priest whose parish life has fewer crimes but many personal challenges.
Father Tim, Father Sidney, and Father Gilbert share several traits. They wear clerical collars, care for their congregations, listen to people’s concerns, and often help with others’ problems. Each belongs to the Anglican tradition, and each is called Father.
If you grew up in one Anglican parish, calling the priest Father might seem normal. In another, it could feel too Roman Catholic. Some parishes use titles like Reverend, Rector, Vicar, Mister, or simply a first name.
So, why do some Anglicans call their clergy Father? Is it a biblical title, or was it borrowed from Roman Catholic tradition?
And then, of course, there is the other challenge of what Jesus says in Matthew: “Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven” (Matthew 23.9).
That sounds clear, doesn’t it? If Jesus said not to call anyone father, why do Anglicans use that title for priests? Are they ignoring what Jesus taught?
Here is what I do not want to do: explain away what Jesus said just because it challenges our customs. His warning should make clergy think about their role and remind Christians how to treat religious leaders. But we also need to understand His words in context and alongside the rest of Scripture.
When we look at the context, I believe there is a good Christian reason to use Father for clergy. Not every Anglican needs to use the title, and priests should not insist on it. When understood properly, “Father” is a family word that points to real responsibility.
What Jesus Was Condemning?
Matthew 23 is a challenging chapter for religious leaders, as it should be. Jesus confronts the scribes and Pharisees who wanted public praise. They enjoyed the best seats, special greetings, and titles that made others feel less important. They used religion to promote themselves.
Notice that Jesus does not only mention “fathers” here. He also warns his disciples about seeking titles like Rabbi and instructor. Still, the New Testament talks about teachers in the Church. We would not say a Christian school breaks Matthew 23 just because students call someone a teacher. There must be a deeper meaning.
Jesus is not banning every word that describes authority or relationships. He is warning us not to treat any human leader as the source of truth, life, or salvation.
We see the same problem in the way some people appealed to Abraham. They rightly called Abraham their father, but they began treating that family connection as a guarantee that they were right with God. John the Baptist warned them, “Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’” (Matthew 3.9). Jesus later told people making the same claim that true children of Abraham would live with Abraham’s faith (John 8.39).
The main point is that the problem was not the word “father.” The real issue was relying on a human father, teacher, or tradition instead of trusting and obeying God.
Please hear me: Matthew 23 still applies to clergy. A priest can become proud, controlling, or too focused on his own position. Sometimes, a congregation puts a priest on a pedestal and expects things from him that only Jesus can give. When that happens, the title “Father” becomes part of the problem Jesus warned about.
Jesus did not offer a better title as the answer. Instead, he pointed to service: “The greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 23.11).
The Bible Still Uses Father
If Jesus intended an absolute ban on using father for any human relationship, the rest of the New Testament becomes surprisingly difficult to explain. Stephen speaks of “our father Abraham” (Acts 7.2). Paul calls Abraham “the father of us all” who share his faith (Romans 4.16). The commandment still tells children to honor their father and mother. No Christian thinks a child sins by calling his dad father.
More importantly for our question, Paul uses fatherly language for his own ministry. He tells the Corinthians, “Though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4.15).
Notice how carefully Paul explains it. He became their father “in Christ” and “through the gospel.” He did not take the place of their Father in heaven. His role as father was given to him, limited, and depended on Jesus.
Paul also calls Timothy his true child in the faith and says Timothy served beside him “as a son with a father” (1 Timothy 1.2; Philippians 2.22). He reminds the Thessalonians that he dealt with them “like a father with his children,” encouraging them to live lives worthy of God (1 Thessalonians 2.11–12).
So, whatever Matthew 23 means, Paul clearly did not think spiritual fatherhood was wrong. This does not mean every priest must be called Father, but it does show there is a biblical idea behind the relationship the title describes.
An Old Christian Word and a Later Anglican Custom
Christians used fatherly language for their leaders long before there were separate Anglican or Roman Catholic churches. Bishops, respected teachers, monks, and spiritual guides were often called fathers. Even the word “abbot,” which is the title for the head of a monastery, comes from Abba, the Aramaic word for father.
Why did Christians use this language? Because the Church is not just an organization. Scripture calls it “the household of God” (1 Timothy 3.15). It is a family of brothers and sisters joined to Jesus. That is why family language developed around those who taught and cared for the Church.
To be honest, Father was not the usual way to address every Anglican parish priest after the Reformation. English priests were more often called Mister, Parson, Rector, or Vicar. The Book of Common Prayer uses the word priest for the office, but does not tell parishioners to call him Father.
The title “Father” became more common during the Catholic Revival in the nineteenth century. The Oxford Movement reminded the Church of England that it was not just a government department or a group of like-minded people. The Church had received spiritual life, sacraments, and pastoral responsibility from the apostles.
Later, Anglo-Catholic priests brought back older ways of worship, spiritual guidance, community life, and ministry to the poor. In that context, Father became a natural way to describe the priest’s relationship with his people.
The Oxford Movement did not invent spiritual fatherhood, but it did help bring the title back into Anglican practice. After the movement revived it, “Father” spread beyond Anglo-Catholic parishes, though it never became universal.
So, if someone says every good Anglican must call a priest Father, history shows that is not true. But if someone claims the title is completely foreign to Anglicanism, that is not true either. It is an accepted Anglican custom, not a requirement or a test of faithfulness.
Here is a helpful way to remember: “Priest,” “Rector,” “Vicar,” or “Canon” are office titles, while “Father” describes a relationship.
A Family Word with Real Responsibility
What do we mean when we call a priest Father? To be clear, calling a priest “Father” does not mean he is God the Father. It does not mean he replaces Jesus, stands between us and God, or has the power to save. Scripture says there is one God and one mediator between God and people, Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2.5).
Father is a word that points to the responsibility to teach, guide, encourage, correct, protect, pray for, and care for the people entrusted to a priest. Like Paul, a priest does this only “in Christ” and “through the gospel.”
A priest does not create the church family; Jesus does. He does not give the family life; the Holy Spirit does. The priest is a servant in the household and is accountable to God.
This is also why I think Pastor alone feels too limited. Pastor is a good, biblical word that means shepherd, and a priest is a pastor. But the priest’s role also includes preaching, administering sacraments, pronouncing God’s forgiveness and blessing, leading worship, and serving under a bishop. Pastor describes what I do, while Father describes the relationship in which I do it.
Not A Requirement
I do not require anyone to call me Father. If you prefer not to call me “Fr. Chase,” that is fine. I am not offended if someone calls me Chase, Pastor Chase, or Reverend Chase. I also know that father can be a painful word for some people. My own experience makes this personal for me.
My experience did not stop me from seeing other men as father figures, but I understand why someone else’s past might make the title hard to use. I do not want any title to become a barrier between someone and Jesus.
Every Human Fatherhood Is Under Judgment
No title can make someone faithful. A priest may be called “Father” but not act like one. He might use the Church’s trust to control people, hide sin, demand loyalty, or seek attention. When that happens, his collar or ordination will not protect him. He is still judged by Jesus, as described in Matthew 23.
Here is the test: Does the title point beyond the priest? A good spiritual father does not draw people to himself. He teaches them to know their Father in heaven. He does not make people depend on him, but helps them depend on Jesus. He uses authority to serve, protect, and speak the truth, not to be served.
So, should Anglicans call their clergy Father? They can. Scripture gives us a real idea of spiritual fatherhood, and Christian history shows a long tradition of using the title. But no one is required to use it, and no priest deserves the honor if he does not accept the responsibility.
We have one Father in heaven. Every good human fatherhood comes from Him, is limited by His Word, and is accountable to His Son. The best reason to call a priest Father is not because he stands in God’s place, but because, in a small and imperfect way, he is given the responsibility to help God’s children find their way home.