Addressing Religious Leaders

For business letters, much uncertainty can be avoided by using “Greetings:” instead of “Dear So-and-So:” as the salutation.

In general, if the religious leader has a doctorate (Ph.D., Th.D., D.Min.), this is indicated on the envelope in one of two ways: by inserting “Dr.” after the religious title (e.g., The Reverend Dr. John Smith), OR, by inserting the degree designation at the end of the name (e.g., The Reverend John Smith, Ph.D.).

Choose a religion from the list below to get started.

Afro-Caribbean Spiritualities: Voudun
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Manbo/Mambo Asogwe (female) Hounjan/Houngan (male)	Manbo/Mambo Asogwe Hounjan/Houngan	Dear Manbo/Mambo, Dear Houjan/Houngan Dear Asogwe	Manbo/Mambo Asogwe; Hounjan/Houngan
Afro-Caribbean Spiritualities: Yoruba-Lukumi
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Babalorisha (men) Iyalorisa (women)	Babalorisha Iyalorisa	Dear Babalorisha, Dear Iyalorisa	Customs vary
Bahá’i
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
No clergy; the host of a Baha’i gathering should be addressed just as s/he would be addressed in the workplace.
Buddhism: Pureland
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Priest	The Reverend	Dear Sensei; Dear Rev.	Sensei
Buddhism: Tibetan
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Abbot; Lama	His Eminence His Holiness	Dear Rinpoche	Your Eminence Your Holiness Rinpoche
Gelug lineage: Lama (most lamas are also monks), Abbot Geshey (Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy), Dorampa, Tsogrampa, Lharampa (Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy of the highest level)	His Holiness Geshey	Dear Rinpoche	Your Eminence Your Holiness Rinpoche
Kagyu lineage: Monk; Abbot; Gyalwa Karmapa [head of this lineage]	His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa [Abbot] The Venerable Rinpoche	Your Holiness Dear Ven.	Your Holiness Rinpoche
Nyingma lineage: Monk; Abbot; Rinpoche	[Head] His Holiness Rinpoche	Your Holiness	Rinpoche
Sakya lineage: Monk; Abbot/Rinpoche	His Eminence His Holiness	Your Holiness	Rinpoche
Buddhism: Theravada
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Bhikku; Monk	The Venerable	Dear Venerable	Venerable
Buddhism: Zen
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Roshi	Roshi	Dear Roshi	Roshi; Sensei
Christianity: Anglican/Episcopalian
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Priest (who may be functioning as a Rector; Curate; Vicar; Chaplain)	The Reverend	Dear Fr.* When the priest is a woman, practice varies. Some prefer “Dear Mother Smith”; others prefer “Dear Elizabeth.” Beginning a letter simply “Greetings” might be easiest.	Fr.; Mother (or, according to her preference, see left).
Deacon	The Reverend Deacon	Dear Deacon	Deacon
Bishop	The Right Reverend	Dear Bishop; Your Grace	Bishop; or Your Grace
Dean (of a cathedral or seminary)	The Very Reverend	Dear Dean	Dean
Archdeacon	The Venerable FN LN	Dear Archdeacon LN	Archdeacon; Fr.
Presiding Bishop	The Most Reverend	Dear Bishop -or- Your Grace	Bishop -or- Your Grace
Nun, Monk	Sister, OSH Brother, BSG (If also ordained, it would also be proper to write “The Reverend Ellen Francis, OSH”, and, “The Reverend Tobias Haller, BSG”)	Dear Sister; Dear Brother	Sister; Brother
Christianity: Church of Christ (not United Church of Christ)
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Minister	Titles are not used; leaders are addressed as would anyone in the workplace.
Christianity: Ethiopian Orthodox
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Bishop or Archbishop	His Holiness Abuna	Your Holiness Abuna	Your Holiness
Priest	Qes	Dear Qes	Qes
Chief Cantor	Marigeta	Dear Marigeta	Marigeta
Religious Scribe or Scholar	Dabtarra	Dear Dabtarra	Dabtarra
Christianity: Jehovah’s Witnesses
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
While the term “minister” is used, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that a clergy class and special titles are improper	Mr./Mrs. [Last Name]	Dear Mr./Mrs. [Last Name]	Brother Smith; Mr. Smith
Christianity: Latter-day Saints (LDS/Mormon)
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
President (Apostle)	President [Full Name]	Dear President [Last Name]	President [Last Name]
Bishop	Bishop [Full Name]	Dear Bishop [Last Name]	Bishop [Last Name]
Elder (includes male missionaries)	Elder [Full Name]	Dear Elder [Last Name]	Elder [Last Name]
Female missionaries	Sister [Full Name]	Dear Sister [Last Name]	Sister [Last Name]
Christianity: Orthodox
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
The hierarchy of each autocephalous Orthodox Church (and Middle Eastern and North African Catholic churches) has its own peculiar set of titles; there is no standard title for the head of a Church.
Archbishop	His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch	Your All Holiness	Your All Holiness
Patriarch	His Beatitude NAME #, Pope and Patriarch of Location	Your Eminence, Your Holiness	Your Eminence, Your Holiness
Archbishop	His Beatitude NAME, Archbishop of LOCATION, Metropolitan LOCATION	Your Beatitude	Your Beatitude
Bishop	The Right Reverend NAME, Bishop of Location	Your Grace	Your Grace
Archimandrite	The Very Reverend Archimandrite -OR- Archimandrite	Dear Fr.	Fr.
Igumen; Abbot	The Very Reverend Igumen -OR- Igumen -OR- The Very Reverend Abbot -OR- Abbot	Dear Fr.	Fr.
Abbess	The Very Reverend Abbess	Dear Mother	Mother
Hiermonk; Protopresbyter; Archpriest	The Reverend	Dear Fr.	Fr.
Christianity: Pentecostal/Holiness Traditions
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Minister; some groups have an array of religious leaders with various titles, such as Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, among others.	The Reverend -OR- Rev.	Dear Pastor	Pastor “Reverend” is used frequently, but is technically incorrect. (Technically, “Reverend” is an adjective, not a noun.) Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist
Christianity: Protestants, Free Church (Lutheran, Adventist, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist, Presbyterian, Assemblies of God, Disciples of Christ, Mennonite, United Church of Christ; many others)
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Minister	The Reverend -OR- Rev.	Dear Pastor	Pastor “Reverend” is used frequently, but is technically incorrect. (Technically, “Reverend” is an adjective, not a noun.)
Bishop	Bishop -OR- The Rev. Bishop	Dear Bishop	Bishop
Christianity: Roman Catholic
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Pope	His Holiness, Pope John Paul II -OR- His Holiness, the Pope	Your Holiness -OR- Most Holy Father	Your Holiness -OR- Most Holy Father
Cardinal	His Eminence Cardinal	Your Eminence	Your Eminence
Archbishop	Most Reverend	Your Excellency	Your Excellency
Bishop	Most Reverend	Your Excellency	Your Excellency
Abbot	Right Reverend (add religious order initials)	Dear Father	Father
Pronotary Apostolic	Rev. Msgr.	Rev. Msgr.	Monsignor
Priest	Rev.	Dear Reverend	Father
Religious Order Priest	Rev. (add religious order initials)	Dear Reverend Father	Father
Deacon	Rev. Mr.	Dear Deacon	Deacon
Brother (monk)	Brother	Dear Brother	Brother
Sister (nun)	Sister	Dear Sister	Sister
Superior of Sisterhood	Reverend Mother FN (add religious order initials)	Dear Reverend Mother	Reverend Mother
Christian Science
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
No ordained clergy
Hinduism
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Priest (male)	Swami	Dear Swami	Swami
Priest (female)	Swamini	Dear Swamini	Swamini
Leaders very ‘high’ on the ladder of spirituality	Swamiji Guruji Guru Maharaj Gurudev Mataji	Dear Swamji Dear Guruji Dear Guru Maharaj Dear Gurudev Dear Mataji	Swamji Guruji Guru Maharaj Gurudev Mataji
Secular or semi-religious, theoretical or philosophical leaders, or highly respected priests	Panditji, Pandit, Acharyaji, Acharya, Shastriji, Shastri (same forms of use as above; word choice depends on region of India)	Dear Panditji, etc.	Panditji, etc.
Common forms of address – always acceptable (male)	Shree, Shreeman, Shreeyut, Sri	Dear Shree, etc.	Shree, etc.
Common forms of address – always acceptable (female)	Shreemati, or Soubhagyavati	Dear Shreemati, etc.	Shreemati, etc.
Also acceptable	Mr. or Mrs. will always be acceptable in an American context	Dear Mr./Mrs.	Mr./Mrs.
Female renunciates	Sadhvi	Dear Sadhvi	Sadhvi
Islam
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Imam	Imam	Dear Imam	Imam
Jainism
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
No official clergy. Serious believers become monks or nuns, called Sadhu (male) and Sadhvi (female). Non-initiates form the classes of laypersons. (Shravak and Shravika).
Judaism
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Rabbi	Rabbi Oriental Jews (from Near Eastern countries) may call their rabbis “Hakam,” “Gaon,” or “Mori.”	Dear Rabbi	Rabbi
Cantor	Cantor	Dear Cantor	Cantor
Quaker/Society of Friends
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
No clergy; a Quaker should be addressed just as he/she would be addressed in the workplace.
Scientology
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Minister	Reverend, Executive Director of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles (or whatever the person’s position in the church hierarchy is)	Dear Reverend	Reverend If you are unsure of the person’s official title. Mr., Mrs., or Ms. is appropriate.
Shinto
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Priest	The Reverend -OR- Sensei	Dear Reverend; Dear Sensei	Sensei
Sikhism (No ordained clergy)
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Since Sikhs do not have an ordained clergy or a priestly class, these titles are used for both religious leaders and laity.	Males: Sardar Females: Sardarni Note: Often for males, “Bhai” can be used in place of “Sardar”.	Dear Sardar/Sardarni	If one wants to be extremely polite, as is the manner in Punjab, the Sikh homeland, then one would suffix the honorific “Ji” after the last name. This custom is observed most frequently in conversation. Generally, during normal conversation, the first or last names are not always used. Instead, one would use Sardar Sahib (for males) and Sardarani Sahiba (for females). Here one would not use “Ji” as a suffix since “Sahib” and “Sahiba” take its place instead.
Unitarian Universalist
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
The Reverend	The Reverend	Dear Pastor; Dear Reverend	Pastor “Reverend” is used frequently, but is technically incorrect. (Technically, “Reverend” is an adjective, not a noun.)
Zoroastrianism
POSITION	ON ENVELOPE	SALUTATION	DIRECT ADDRESS
Dastoor; Dastur	Dastoor -OR- Dastoorji	Dear Dastoorji	Dastoorji

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Addressing Religious Leaders

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