Charlie holds a clerical appointment (8)
I believe the answer is:
chaplain
'clerical appointment' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I can't see?
'charlie holds a' is the wordplay.
'charlie' becomes 'Chaplin' (Charlie Chaplin).
'holds' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'chaplin' going around 'a' is 'CHAPLAIN'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for chaplain that I've seen before include "Religious minister assigned to an organisation" , "Clergyman attached to military unit" , "sky pilot" , "Christian clergyman attached to an institution, military body etc" , "Member of the clergy, in 24 ac say" .)