Anglican funeral — the order of service

How a Anglican service moves

The Anglican burial office balances set liturgy with family choices — the sentences and collects are the Church’s, the hymns and tribute are yours. The committal may follow immediately or at the graveside.

• Opens with the liturgical sentences rather than an MC welcome
• One tribute is customary, kept brief beside the homily
• The commendation and committal are distinct, deliberate closings

How the day runs

The Anglican burial office opens with the liturgical sentences rather than a welcome from an MC, and that sets the tone for everything after: the shape of the service belongs to the Church, and the family’s choices live inside it. Expect a service of about an hour, conducted by the priest throughout, with the parish confirming which prayer book form is being used before you print anything.

One tribute is customary, kept brief and placed beside the homily rather than replacing it. The two closings are distinct and families frequently merge them by mistake on the printed page: the commendation, spoken in church, entrusts the person to God; the committal, at the graveside or crematorium, is the act of burial. Print them as separate items, because they happen in different places.

What to print, and how much

Six pages suits an Anglican funeral: the order with the responses printed for the congregation, two or three hymns in full, and the collect. Ask the parish whether they supply service books — if they do, your booklet can be shorter and carry more of the family’s own material. Otherwise print the congregational parts in full, in a weight of type older readers can manage in a dim church.

Questions families ask

Should we print the responses?

Yes, unless the parish supplies service books. Anglican liturgy is call-and-response, and a congregation that cannot see the responses stays silent. Set the congregation’s words in bold so people can find their part at a glance.

What is the difference between the commendation and the committal?

The commendation takes place in church and entrusts the person to God’s keeping. The committal takes place at the grave or crematorium and is the act of burial itself. They are separate moments in separate places, and should be separate lines in the printed order.

Can we include a poem as well as scripture?

Usually yes, placed with the tribute rather than among the appointed readings. The lessons in the burial office are scripture; a poem sits alongside the family’s words. Check with the priest, since parishes differ on this.

Using this order

Open it in the editor and every item becomes editable. Set the tribute sequence first — it is the part that has to be agreed with the family rather than typed, and everything else moves around it. Draw hymns from the hymns library and readings from the readings library, and the booklet lays itself out as you go. Whoever is leading has the final word — bring them the draft before it goes to the printer.