Historically, almoners were Christian religious functionaries whose duty was to distribute alms to the poor.

The settlers consisted of soldiers, nomads, farmers, artisans and merchants, dervishes, preachers and other religious functionaries, and administrative personnel.

Each deme had a demarchos who supervised its affairs; various other civil, religious, and military functionaries existed in various demes.

He paid salaries to religious functionaries there and other civil servants in the West Bank, and supported newspapers and institutions sympathetic to his rule.

Shortly afterwards, he was disappointed with the reality that these institutions were producing religious functionaries but not preachers.

He responded that all religious functionaries were employees of the Government.

Prior to Napoleon's invasion, almost all of Egypt's educational, legal, public health, and social welfare issues were in the hands of religious functionaries.

He single-handedly brought over to England several thousand youngsters, rabbis, teachers, ritual slaughterers and other religious functionaries.

This practice was in keeping with the Jewish tradition of forming congregations and often conducting worship without religious functionaries.

These laws also forbade Christian charity efforts, participation of children in religious activities, and religious functionaries were restricted to the area associated with them.