Deaconess

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The Deaconess is a woman set apart by the Church for service in works of mercy, education, and pastoral care. Within Anglicanism, the Order of Deaconesses is a historic, apostolically rooted ministry distinct from the diaconate of ordained male ministry but sharing in the same spirit of service — the diakonia of Christ.

Biblical and Early Church Foundations

The ministry of women servants of the Church is attested in the New Testament, most notably in Romans 16:1, where St. Paul commends "Phoebe, a servant (diakonos) of the Church at Cenchreae."

By the fourth century, the office of deaconess was well established in the Christian East. Records from Antioch, Constantinople, and other centers show deaconesses assisting in the baptism of women, instructing female catechumens, visiting the sick, and supporting works of mercy. Contemporary accounts note that around forty deaconesses were attached to the Great Church of Constantinople by A.D. 400.

The Order eventually fell into disuse during the medieval era, though its functions survived informally in religious communities and charitable work.

Revival in the Nineteenth Century

In the nineteenth century, social reforms and renewed attention to Christian service led to the revival of the Order of Deaconesses.

  • In **1861**, the office was restored in the Church of England under the authority of the Bishop of London.
  • In **1889**, the Order was formally recognized in the Episcopal Church in the United States.
  • The **1920 Lambeth Conference** encouraged the restoration of the Deaconess Order throughout the Anglican Communion.

During this period, deaconesses were trained in community houses, received episcopal commissioning, and undertook parish and institutional work, especially among women and children.

Modern Developments

In the Episcopal Church (USA), the Order of Deaconesses was formally **subsumed into the Diaconate in 1976**, when the ordination of women to Holy Orders was approved. While this merger sought to unify ministries of service, it effectively ended the distinct female order as such.

Other Anglican jurisdictions, however, continued to maintain the Order of Deaconesses as a parallel vocation. In many provinces of the Anglican Communion, the Deaconess remains a recognized lay or minor order, often distinguished from the ordained diaconate.

The Reformed Episcopal Church

After the **Congress of St. Louis (1977)**, traditional Anglicans affirmed the Order of Deaconesses as part of the **Affirmation of St. Louis**, which stated that:

“We recognize the ancient order of deaconesses and affirm their ministry as a vocation for women in the Church, distinct from the Holy Orders of the Apostolic Ministry.”

In **2002**, the **Reformed Episcopal Church** adopted **Canon 22, “Of Deaconesses”**, formally recognizing the Order and outlining the qualifications, training, and service expected of candidates. This canon restored the historic office to canonical standing, emphasizing its role in pastoral care, education, and works of mercy within the Church.

Deaconesses in the REC are set apart by episcopal laying on of hands for ministry under the direction of the parish rector or bishop. Their vocation is lifelong, but without vows of celibacy, in keeping with the Lambeth Resolutions of 1930.

Theology and Vocation

The Deaconess embodies the ministry of service — the diakonia — without entering the priesthood. Her call is to serve Christ through care for His people, particularly the poor, the sick, the young, and those in need of pastoral compassion.

Distinct from the ordained diaconate of men, the Order of Deaconesses stands as a visible witness to the sanctified ministry of women in the life of the Church.

Lambeth Conference on Deaconesses

The Lambeth Resolutions of 1920 and 1930 remain the Anglican Communion’s key statements on the Order:

  1. The Order of Deaconesses is for women the one and only order of ministry which has the "stamp of apostolic approval."
  2. A Deaconess dedicates herself to lifelong service, but no vow or implied promise of celibacy should be required.
  3. The Order of Deaconesses is modeled on the diakonia of the primitive, rather than the modern, diaconate of men.

Present Work

Today, Anglican deaconesses serve in parishes, schools, hospitals, and missions, offering teaching, pastoral visitation, and works of mercy. The ministry continues through organizations such as the Anglican Deaconess Association and the Reformed Episcopal Church Deaconess Society (recdss.org).

See Also

External Links

References

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