Responding to the example of the ancient church, to needs in church and society, and to pressure for reform, the Episcopal Church has renewed the order of deacons. Since 1970, the diaconate has gone through several major changes or shifts in meaning and function. These changes began with combining the old “perpetual” male diaconate and the female order of deaconesses into a single order of deacons for men and women. The new diaconate incorporated both the pastoral and sacramental ministry of “perpetual” deacons with the social, caring ministry of deaconesses.
Modern deacons have begun to recover the ancient concept that a deacon is ordained to the diakonia (ministry or agency) of the bishop, and hence that deacons are servants of the church who lead in service. Deacons point to the presence of Christ in the needy. They are signs of connection, hands reaching hands. They enlist, organize, lead, and encourage all the baptized in ministries of mercy, justice, and peace. This role involves nurturing, coordinating, and facilitating the ministries of the laos and interpreting the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world to the church. Deacons should be proficient at networking and communications, drawing together diverse resources, both material and spiritual, on behalf of mission. Pastoral oversight involves deacons in listening, pastoral care, creative problem solving, visiting the sick and imprisoned, organizing advocacy groups, and teaching—a list as varied as the gifts they bring to ordination and the mission needs of a given parish or diocese.
In renewing the diaconate for practical reasons, the church has also recovered an emphasis on the symbolism or sacramental nature of the order. Recent scholarship has restored the early meaning of diakonia as service (or servanthood), agency, and ministry—terms that suggest being a go-between or agent in word, action, and personal attendance. In the evolving and changing history of the diaconate, it is hard to formulate a precise definition. The trend has been to abandon a diaconate that is individualistic and internally motivated and to replace it with a diaconate that is personal, collegial, and communal (as Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry proposed in 1982), linking liturgical functions with pastoral and social responsibilities. At the same time, the church is placing more emphasis on the diaconate as a permanent office.
In a sacramental way, therefore, deacons represent Christ in his eternal role as diakonos or agent of God in creation and salvation, and they represent the church in its loving duty and baptismal call to strive for mercy, justice, and peace. Thus the liturgical role of deacons emphasizes proclaiming the good news to the poor, urging prayer for the needy, and overseeing practical help to feed the hungry. This suggests a similar role in the church’s extended liturgy and life, where deacons serve all people in word, action, and personal attendance.
Since ancient times, deacons have had a close relationship with the bishop. This emphasis on collegiality is expressed in a variety of ways, including the formation of communities of deacons and the appointment of deacons as archdeacons to oversee the diaconate. The bishop normally assigns deacons to congregations, where they serve with the priest and all the baptized to carry out Christian mission in the world. In congregations, deacons have a communal responsibility for the church’s ministry to the sick and needy, and they look for ways to bring about ministries to those in need, which is the responsibility of all baptized Christians, individually and corporately.
