History of the Diaconate

The Deacon: Ministry Through Words of Faith and Acts of Love

This 91-page book illuminates the history of the diaconate in The United Methodist Church and provides resources for the deacon and for the church. Its authors hope it will assist with the dialogue and reflection on the Order. An excerpt is below; to download the entire book as a PDF (950KB), please click on the graphic to the left.

From Chapter 1

Ormonde Plater, an Episcopal deacon, reminds us that we are not alone in our ambiguity in regards to the nature of ministry in today’s (and tomorrow’s) church.

All ministry in the church—not just the ordained—is undergoing drastic change and appears to be heading for an unpredictable future. This is especially true of the diaconate, which tends to avoid not only a fixed definition but also a fixed place in the church. Deacons continually explore their origins, try new directions, and test the limits of their ministry. They like to speak of themselves as occupying some vague space between church and world, or between clergy and laity, as a bridge or as dancers on a razor’s edge. . . .

We begin by examining the role of the Order of Deacon in the context of the world’s needs and the mission of the church. Deacons are called to serve, equip, and lead the laity in ministries of service in the world. This is the deacon’s focus as an ordained clergy in the church. Chapter 2 discusses the identity and role for deacons as found in scripture, sacraments, and church tradition. Reflections from current deacons’ experiences in Chapter 3 give us a vivid picture of how deacons are living out their vocations in the intersection of the ministry of the church and needs of the world. Chapter 4 offers helpful ways of understanding the relationship between deacons, laity, and elders in the local church. Staff-Parish Relations Committees (SPRC’s) may find the administrative guidelines in the second part of Chapter 4 particularly helpful. The Appendix provides a listing of available resources for deacons’ professional development.

The Needs in the World

The modern diaconate traces its renewal from the rubble and horror of the Dachau concentration camp in World War II Germany. At the end of the war, in cellblock 26, a Roman Catholic priest named Wilhelm Schamoni quietly gathered with other Christian clergy to discuss how the church could be reborn out of the nightmares of World War II. The church had failed in so many ways during this time of suffering and in the years leading up to the war. How could the gospel of Jesus Christ be communicated in the hurting world after the Holocaust? The notes from this small group of clergy in Dachau were saved and the conversation continued after the war. These early conversations eventually led the Roman Catholic Church to restore the permanent diaconate in 1967. This small group of clergy looked to the restoration of the diaconate as their response to the overwhelming need for repentance, forgiveness, and renewal. Out of Dachau’s suffering and hopelessness, this group of clergy proclaimed the centrality of Christ’s vocation — as one who came to serve and not to be served — as the response to renew the church. Today, the diaconate is a growing and vital presence in the church across denominational boundaries.