Deacons are:
Called and Set Apart for a Ministry of Service
From the earliest days of the church, deacons were called and set apart for the ministry of love, justice, and service; of connecting the church with the most needy, neglected, and marginalized among the children of God. This ministry grows out of the Wesleyan passion for social holiness and ministry among the poor.
The ministry of the deacon is a faithful response of the mission of the church meeting the emerging needs of the future. Deacons are accountable to the annual conference and the bishop for the fulfillment of their call to servant leadership. (¶328)
Ordained to Word and Service
Deacons are persons called by God, authorized by the church, and ordained by a bishop to a lifetime ministry of Word and Service to both the community and the congregation in a ministry that connects the two. Deacons exemplify Christian discipleship, create opportunities for others to enter into discipleship, and connect the needs and hurts of the people with the church. In the world, the deacon seeks to express a ministry of compassion and justice and assists lay persons as they claim their own ministry. In the congregation, the ministry of the deacon is to teach and to form disciples, and to lead worship together with other ordained and lay persons. (¶329)
Deacons give leadership in the church’s life:
• in the teaching and proclamation of the Word
• in worship and in assisting the elders in the administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper
• in forming and nurturing disciples
• in conducting marriages and burying the dead
• in the congregation’s mission to the world and
• in leading the congregation in interpreting the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world
If you feel called to become a deacon, please contact the conference office at 717-766-7441.
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