The question of scarf or stole at ordination has rumbled on for over a century. Evangelical clergy and ordinands today may know it is an issue but are not always able to articulate the reasons for it. Bishops also make it an issue, often on yet different grounds. Last year two conservative evangelical curates I know were told to wear a stole at ordination. The first was my curate, and a letter to our Bishop secured a concession and no stole was worn. The second, in a different Diocese, was challenged even on the pre-ordination retreat. In the end he was allowed to wear a scarf, but it made a miserable experience of what should been a time of celebration. Such stories could be multiplied. The issue of scarf or stole has not gone away.
This booklet is written to help all sides better to understand the historical debates. Atherstone shows why wearing a preaching scarf is a question of conscience, historically and theologically informed. He shows why the scarf is a mark of evangelical ministry, and how comprehension in this matter should be a mark of episcopal ministry. It is courteous plea to Bishops, based on new research.
This booklet should be required reading for all evangelical clergy and ordinands. It would also be worth finding out whether your Diocesan Bishop and DDO have received a copy.
Scarf or Stole at Ordination: A Plea for the Evangelical Conscience
Andrew Atherstone Latimer Trust: Latimer Briefing 10
2012 pb 25pp ISBN: 978 1 906327 08 8 £3.50
Reviewed for the journal Churchman, published XXX
PS I declare an interest: I am on the council of Latimer Trust. However, I am also a training incumbent with a personal angle on the question.
journeymanpreacher 
If the stole symbolises the yoke of Christ, then surely there can be no objection to a lay person wearing one, since all Christians are called to bear the yoke of Christ.However, the true history of the stole is surely that originally it was not a spiritual symbol at all, but was descended from the scarf of office worn by civic officials in the Roman empire, which was later adopted by Christian priests as a sign of their civic status. But since I no longer consider myself to be a civic official of anyone’s empire, I don’t see why I should see the wearing of the stole as of any Christian importance or significance. There is certainly no evidence that Christ or his apostles ever wore it, so to see it as some sort of catholic essential is surely misguided.
Thank you. Your comment applies to either carf or stole; and of course it’s not necessary at all. But given a situation in which robes are worn (out of custom), it’s scarf as a sign of the teacher rather than stole as the sign of a priest that is at stake. I entirely agree that it would be better to be without and stick to wearing a suit!