In the
Catholic,
Lutheran, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox,
Oriental Orthodox,
Assyrian Church of the East, and
Ancient Church of the East churches, the diaconate is one of the
major orders—the others being
bishop,
presbyter (
priest), and, historically,
subdeacon. The development of a (sequence of offices) found men entering the clerical state through
tonsure, then ordination to the minor orders of lector, porter, exorcist, acolyte before ordination to the major orders of sub-deacon and deacon, all stages on the path to priesthood. Only men destined for priesthood were permitted to be ordained deacons. As seminaries developed, following the
Council of Trent, to contemporary times, the only men ordained as deacons were seminarians who were completing the last year or so of graduate theological training, so-called transitional deacons.
Permanent deacons became an office following the
Second Vatican Council. During the
Mass, the deacon's responsibilities include assisting the priest, proclaiming the Gospel, announcing the
General Intercessions, and distributing Communion. They may also preach the homily. As clerics, deacons are required to pray the
Liturgy of the Hours. Deacons, like priests and bishops, are ordinary ministers of the sacrament of
Baptism and may witness at the sacrament of holy matrimony outside of Mass. Deacons may lead funeral rites outside Mass such as the final commendation at the gravesite or the reception of the body at a service in the funeral home, and may assist the priest at the requiem Mass. They can also preside over various services such as
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and they may give certain blessings. While in ancient history their tasks and competencies varied, today deacons cannot hear confession and give absolution, anoint the sick, or celebrate Mass. The
vestments most particularly associated with the Latin Catholic deacon are the
alb,
stole and
dalmatic. Deacons, like priests and bishops, must wear their albs and stoles; deacons place the stole over their left shoulder and it hangs across to their right side, while priests and bishops wear it around their necks. The dalmatic, a vestment especially associated with the deacon but originating with the bishop (see below), is worn during the celebration of the Mass and other liturgical functions; its use is more liberally applied than the corresponding vestment of the priest, the
chasuble. At certain major celebrations, such as ordinations, the diocesan bishop wears a dalmatic under his chasuble, now taken to signify that he enjoys the fullness of the three degrees of holy orders—deacon, priest, and bishop, but owing its origin, like the sakkos of Byzantine-rite bishops, to the court dress of the eastern Roman Empire. The diaconate is conferred on seminarians continuing to the priesthood no sooner than 23 years of age although there will be higher minimum ages for
permanent deacons. Deacons, like seminarians, religious, bishops and priests, pray the
Liturgy of the Hours; however, deacons are usually only required to pray morning and evening prayer.
Eastern Catholic Churches In the
Eastern Catholic Churches, deacons can not preside at
weddings, as the wedding requires the blessing of a
priest to be valid, and they can only
baptize in emergencies.
Permanent deacons Following the recommendations of the
Second Vatican Council and the instigation of the
Josephites (whose work with
African Americans necessitated increased vocational opportunity for married men), in 1967
Pope Paul VI issued the
motu proprio , reviving the practice of ordaining to the diaconate men who were not candidates for priestly ordination. These men are known as permanent deacons, in contrast to transitional deacons who were continuing their priestly formation. There is no sacramental difference between the two, however, as there is only one order of deacons. The permanent diaconate can be conferred on single men 25 or older, and on married men 35 or older, but an older age can be required by the
episcopal conference. A married candidate for the permanent diaconate must have the written consent of his wife. If a married deacon is widowed, he must maintain the celibate state. Under some very rare circumstances, however, deacons who have been widowed can receive permission to remarry. This is most commonly done when the deacon is left as a single father. In some cases, a widowed deacon will seek priestly ordination, especially if his children are grown. The period of formation to the permanent diaconate varies from diocese to diocese as determined by the local ordinary, but it usually entails a period of prayerful preparation and several years of study. Diaconal candidates receive instruction in
philosophy,
theology, study of the
Bible,
homiletics, sacramental studies,
evangelization,
ecclesiology, counseling, and pastoral care and ministry before ordination. They may be assigned to work in a parish by the diocesan bishop, where they are under the supervision of the parish priests, or in diocesan ministries. Unlike most clerics, permanent deacons who also have a secular profession have no right to receive a salary for their ministry, but many dioceses opt to remunerate them anyway.
Manner of address A deacon is
styled as "Deacon", abbreviated variously as "Dn." or "Dcn." The proper address in written correspondence for all deacons of the Latin Church in the United States is "Deacon
Name", although it is not uncommon to see "Rev. Mr." sometimes used. "Rev. Mr.", however, is more often used to indicate a transitional deacon (i.e., preparing for ordination to the priesthood) or one who belongs to a
religious institute, while Rev. Deacon is used as the honorific for permanent deacons in many dioceses (e.g., Rev. Deacon John Smith, or Deacon John Smith). The decision as to whether deacons wear the
Roman collar as street attire is left to the discretion of each bishop. Where clerical garb is approved by the bishop, the deacon can choose to wear or not wear the collar.
Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism deacon in the
Church of the Nativity in
Bethlehem, wearing an
orarion over his
sticharion. On his head he wears the clerical
kamilavka. deacon with the
Orarion above the
alb, a censer and the
Gospel. In addition to proclaiming the
Gospel and assisting in the distribution of
holy communion, the deacon
censes the
icons and people, calls the people to prayer, leads the
litanies, and has a role in the dialogue of the
anaphora. In keeping with Eastern tradition, the deacon is not permitted to perform any
sacred mysteries (sacraments) on their own, except for Baptism
in extremis (in danger of death), conditions under which anyone, including the laity, may baptize. When assisting at a normal baptism, it is often the deacon who goes down into the water with the one being baptized (). In contrast to the
Latin Church, deacons in the Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches may not preside at the celebration of marriages, as in Eastern theology the sacrament is conferred by the nuptial blessing of a priest. Diaconal vestments are the
sticharion (alb, although it has come to resemble the western dalmatic), the
orarion (deacon's stole), and the
epimanikia (cuffs). The last are worn under the sticharion, not over it as does a priest or bishop. The deacon usually wears a simple orarion which is only draped over the left shoulder but, if elevated to the rank of archdeacon, the deacon wears the doubled-orarion, meaning it is passed over the left shoulder, under the right arm, and then crossed over the left shoulder (see photograph, right). In modern Greek practice, a deacon wears this doubled orarion from the time of their ordination. Also, in the Greek practice, a deacon wears the clerical
kamilavka (cylindrical head covering) with a rim at the top. In Slavic practice, a
hierodeacon (monastic deacon) wears the simple black kamilavka of a monk (without the rim), but removes the monastic veil (see
klobuk) when vested; a married deacon would not wear a kamilavka unless it is given to them by the bishop as an
ecclesiastical award; the honorary kamilavka is purple in colour, and may be awarded to either married or monastic clergy. As far as street clothing is concerned, immediately following ordination a deacon receives a blessing to wear the
exorasson (
Arabic: ''Jib'be
, Slavonic: riasa
), an outer cassock with wide sleeves, in addition to the anterion'' (Slavonic: podriasnik), the inner cassock worn by all orders of clergy. In the Slavic practice, married clergy may wear any of a number of colours, but most often grey, while monastic clergy always wear black. In certain jurisdictions in North America and Western Europe, a
Roman collar is often worn, although this is not a traditional or widespread practice. A
protodeacon (
Ecclesiastical Greek: , "first deacon") is a distinction of honor awarded to senior deacons, usually serving on the staff of the diocesan bishop. An
archdeacon is similar, but is among the monastic clergy. Protodeacons and archdeacons use a double-length orarion even if it is not the local tradition for all deacons to use it. In the Slavic tradition a deacon may be awarded the doubled-orarion even if not a protodeacon or archdeacon. deacon leading an
ektenia (litany) by
Andrei Ryabushkin (1888) According to the practice of the Greek Orthodox Church of America, in keeping with the tradition of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the most common way to address a deacon is "Father". The tradition of kissing the hands of ordained clergy extends to the diaconate as well. This practice is rooted in the holy Eucharist and is in acknowledgement and respect of the Eucharistic role members of the clergy play in preparing, handling and disbursing the sacrament during the Divine Liturgy, and in building and serving the church as the Body of Christ.
Lutheranism In the
Lutheran Churches of the Scandinavian tradition, there is a threefold ministry of "bishops, priests, and deacons". Until the 1960s, deacons in the
Church of Sweden were required to be
celibate. Many provinces of the
Anglican Communion ordain both women and men as deacons. Many of those provinces that ordain women to the priesthood previously allowed them to be ordained only to the diaconate. The effect of this was the creation of a large and overwhelmingly female diaconate for a time, as most men proceeded to be ordained priests after a short time as a deacon. , the Bishop of London, to Gideon Bostwick. February 24, 1770 Anglican deacons may
baptize and in some dioceses are granted licences to
solemnize matrimony, usually under the instruction of their parish priest and bishop. Deacons are not able to preside at the
Eucharist (but can lead worship with the distribution of already-consecrated communion elements where this is permitted), nor can they pronounce God's absolution of sin or pronounce the Trinitarian blessing. In most cases, deacons minister alongside other clergy. An Anglican deacon wears an identical
choir dress to an Anglican priest:
cassock,
surplice,
tippet and
academic hood. However, liturgically, deacons usually wear a
stole over their left shoulder and fastened on the right side of their waist. This is worn both over the surplice and the
alb. A deacon might also wear a
dalmatic. Church of England deacons are supported through the CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons (CENDD).
Methodist churches In Methodism, deacons began as a transitional order before ordination as
elders (presbyters). In 1996, the
United Methodist Church ended the transitional deacon and established a new Order of Deacons to be equal in status with the Order of Elders. Both men and women may be ordained as deacons. Deacons serve in a variety of specialized ministries including, but not limited to, Christian education, music, communications and ministries of justice and advocacy. Unlike United Methodist elders, deacons must find their own place of service. Nevertheless, the bishop does officially approve and appoint deacons to their selected ministry. Deacons may assist the elder in the administration of Sacraments, but must receive special approval from a bishop before presiding over Baptism and holy communion. United Methodist deacons are present in North America, Europe and Africa. The
Methodist Church of Great Britain also has a permanent diaconate—based on an understanding of the
New Testament that deacons have an equal, but distinct ministry from presbyters. Deacons are called to a ministry of service and witness, and "to hold before them the needs and concerns of the world". The
Methodist Diaconal Order is both an order of ministry and a religious order within the Methodist Church in Britain. It was formed in 1989 as a successor to the Wesley Deaconess Order and is open to both women and men. Diaconal ministry is one of two ordained ministries within the Methodist Church. The original Wesleyan Deaconess Order was founded by
Thomas Bowman Stephenson in 1890, following observation of new ministries in urban areas in the previous years. The order continued as the Wesley Deaconess Order following Methodist Union in 1932, but, following the admission of women to "The Ministry" (as presbyteral ministry is commonly termed in the Methodist Church), a number of deaconesses transferred and recruitment for the WDO ceased from 1978. The 1986 Methodist Conference re-opened the order to both men and women and the first ordinations to the renewed order occurred during the 1990 Conference in Cardiff, which coincided with celebrations of 100 years of diaconal service in British Methodism; deaconesses had previously been ordained at their annual
convocation.
Reformed churches Church of Scotland There are two distinct offices of deacon in the
Church of Scotland. The best-known form of diaconate are trained and paid pastoral workers. The permanent diaconate was formerly exclusively female, and it was in 1988, the centenary year of the diaconate, that men were admitted to the office of deacon. The offices of deacon and minister are now both open to both women and men; deacons are now ordained (they were previously commissioned). The other office of deacon can be found in congregations formerly belonging to the
pre-1900 Free Church of Scotland, with a Deacons' Court having responsibility for financial and administrative oversight of congregations. Only a few congregations still retain this constitutional model, with most having since adopted the Church of Scotland's Model Constitution (with a kirk session and congregational board) or Unitary Congregation (with just a kirk session). Most of the Free Church congregations united with the
United Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1900 creating the
United Free Church of Scotland, which itself united with the Church of Scotland in 1929.
Related churches The 100+ congregations of the remnant
post-1900 Free Church of Scotland, alongside those of the
Free Presbyterian Church, the
Associated Presbyterian Churches and
Reformed Presbyterian Church, continue to ordain men as both elders and deacons, with deacons (operating through a Deacons' Court) caring for the financial and property requirements of the congregation, and attending to the mercy ministry of the local church. Both elders and deacons have to subscribe to the
Westminster Confession of Faith before being ordained to the office. , each signing 'The Formula', signifying his assent to the
Westminster Confession of Faith, with the ordaining minister looking on.
Other Presbyterian churches One of
John Calvin's legacies was to restore the diaconate as a servant ministry. Individual congregations of the various
Presbyterian denominations, such as the
Presbyterian Church (USA),
Presbyterian Church in America and
Orthodox Presbyterian Church, also elect deacons, along with
elders. However, in some churches the property-functions of the diaconate and session of elders is commended to an independent board of
trustees.
Dutch Reformed churches In many Dutch Reformed churches deacons are charged with ministries of mercy. As such, the deacons are also members of the local church council. A special feature of the Dutch Reformed churches is the fact that the diaconate of each local church is its own legal entity with its own financial means, separated from the church itself, and governed by the deacons.
Uniting Church in Australia In the
Uniting Church in Australia, the diaconate is one of two offices of ordained ministry. The other is Minister of the Word. Deacons in the Uniting Church are called to minister to those on the fringes of the church and be involved in ministry in the community. Deacons offer leadership in a ministry of service to the world. The primary focus of the ministry of deacons is on care and compassion for the poor and oppressed and in seeking social justice for all people. They take both an active role in leadership in such actions themselves, but are also play a key role in encouraging other Uniting Church members in similar action. Some examples of service that deacons may take include: prison chaplaincy, acting as youth or community workers, in community service agencies, in schools and hospitals, or in mission placements in Australia or overseas. Although the primary responsibility for worship in congregations lies with the Ministers of the Word, deacons have a liturgical role appropriate to their distinctive ministry, including ministries where their main leadership is within a congregation. In the Uniting Church both ministers of the word and deacons are styled
The Reverend. The
Uniting Church has recognised deacons since union, but it was not until the 6th Assembly in 1991 that the Uniting Church began ordaining deacons. This was partly because the historical, theological and sociological roles of deaconesses and deacons was being widely discussed in Churches throughout the world at the time that the Basis of Union was being drafted
Anabaptist Churches Amish The
Amish have deacons; they are elected by a council and receive no formal training.
Schwarzenau Brethren Church of the Brethren The
Church of the Brethren also have deacons, as do other Brethren denominations. They are elected by the congregation to serve in ministries of compassion. They are elected for life in some congregations.
Baptists Baptists traditionally recognize two ordained positions in the church: elders (pastors) and deacons, as per
1 Timothy 3. Some Baptist churches in the Reformed tradition recognize elder and pastor as separate offices. Baptists have traditionally practised
congregationalism, giving each church the ability to discern for themselves the interpretation of scripture. Thus, Baptist churches hold a wide variety of views on the qualifications and activities of deacons: some Baptist churches have deacons decide many of the church affairs, while others have deacons in serving roles only. The predominant view among Baptist churches (especially theologically conservative ones, including the majority of
Southern Baptist and
Independent Baptist churches) is that a deacon must be a male, married (or a widower) and not divorced previously. If a deacon subsequently divorces, he must relinquish his office (but if his wife dies he may continue to serve). However, there are Baptist churches where women are allowed to be deacons or deaconesses (primarily in the United Kingdom and in the United States among African-American and theologically moderate churches). In the
General Association of Regular Baptist Churches, deacons can be any adult male member of the congregation who is in good standing. In some African American
Missionary Baptist churches and in churches affiliated with the
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. male and female deacons serve as one board. Other churches may have two separate boards of deacons and deaconesses. Most often the deacon or deacon candidate is a long-standing member of the church, being middle aged, but younger deacons may be selected from among members of a family that has had several generations in the same church. They are elected by
quorum vote annually. Their roles are semi-pastoral in that they fill in for the pastor on occasion, or support the pastor vocally during his sermon. They may also lead a special prayer service, generally known as "The deacon's Prayer". Their other roles are to accompany the pastor during
Communion by handing out the remembrances of bread and wine (or grape juice) and to set a good example for others to follow. Their administrative duties sometimes include oversight of the treasury, Sunday school curriculum, transportation, and various outreach ministries. See
Baptist Distinctives for a more detailed treatment of deacons in churches in other associations, particularly the UK.
Quakers Deacons in the structure of most meetings of the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) are called overseers. This is not an ordained role but rather a temporary ministry that is discerned every three years. They are responsible for coordinating pastoral care within a community while elders (the equivalent of the Biblical presbyterate) take care of the spiritual concerns of the meeting. Other names include "pastoral care" or "care and counsel".
Church of Christ In accordance with
Church of Christ doctrine and practice, only males may serve as deacons (deaconesses are not recognized), and must meet Biblical qualifications (generally
1 Timothy 3:8–13 is the Biblical text used to determine if a male is qualified to serve as deacon). A deacon may also be qualified to serve as an
elder (and, in fact, may move into that role after a period of time if his service as deacon is considered acceptable). The role of the deacon varies, depending on the local congregation. Generally a deacon will have responsibility for a specific non-spiritual function (e.g. finance, building and grounds, benevolence); however, the deacons (like the rest of the congregation) are under the subjection of the elders, who have spiritual and administrative authority over the deacon's function. In congregations which lack qualified elders (where, in their absence, the men of the congregation handle leadership duties), often there also are no deacons, as they are usually appointed by the elders of the church.
Irvingian churches New Apostolic Church In the
New Apostolic Church, the deacon ministry is a local ministry. A deacon mostly works in his home congregation to support the priests. If a priest is unavailable, a deacon will hold a divine service, without the act of communion. (Only priests and up can consecrate holy communion.)
Restorationist Churches The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The office of deacon is generally open to all 12- and 13-year-old male members of the
LDS church; all are encouraged to become deacons. Duties include: • Gather fast offerings. • Pass the sacrament. • Serve as the bishop's messenger. • Care for the grounds and physical facilities of the church. • Assist in service projects or welfare assignments as assigned by the bishop. • Watch over the church and act as standing ministers (see
D&C 84:111). • Be involved in missionary and reactivation efforts (see D&C 20:58–59). • Assist teachers in all their duties as needed (see D&C 20:53, 57). ======== 's deacons serve as etiquette checkers and offering collectors for males during worship services, with deaconesses as their female counterparts. In the Iglesia ni Cristo, deacons and deaconesses are usually required to be married. There are also head deacons (an exclusively male role with no head deaconess counterpart) who lead the congregation in the prayer before the sermon and the prayer for offerings. They can also be promoted to Bishops if they are faithful to the rules.
Jehovah's Witnesses Deacons among
Jehovah's Witnesses are referred to as
ministerial servants, claiming it preferable to translate the descriptive Greek term used in the Bible rather than merely transliterate it as though it were a title. Appointed ministerial servants aid
elders in congregational duties. Like the elders, they are adult baptized males and serve without a salary. ==Deaconesses==