Deaconess Ministry

We had a deaconess at one time. As far as I'm concerned, they're similar in function to a DCE (Director of Christian Education), but in more of a "care ministry" role. So, they have no function in worship. Rather, they assist people in crisis:

* Help obtain access to food, shelter, health care
* Provide grief support
* Organize emergency assistance - volunteers to help after tornados, etc.

Depending on their training, I suppose they could provide any support a church needed: missions, church social/outreach activities, altar guilds, children's ministries, etc.

Resha Caner said:

We had a deaconess at one time. As far as I'm concerned, they're similar in function to a DCE (Director of Christian Education), but in more of a "care ministry" role. So, they have no function in worship. Rather, they assist people in crisis:

* Help obtain access to food, shelter, health care
* Provide grief support
* Organize emergency assistance - volunteers to help after tornados, etc.

Depending on their training, I suppose they could provide any support a church needed: missions, church social/outreach activities, altar guilds, children's ministries, etc.

Click to expand...

They may also be teachers in Lutheran Schools.

Does anyone know if the deaconess programs allow online or distance learning? All the schools listed on the LCMS website are in the Midwest, and we're going to be stuck on the East Coast for a long time. Also, once you become a deaconess, can they require you to move anywhere, or do they take your husband's career into consideration when giving you a location?

Yes, they do, MCAB. There is a woman in my church who is a training deaconess via distance learning. I don't know any details, sorry.

porterross said:

Yes, they do, MCAB. There is a woman in my church who is a training deaconess via distance learning. I don't know any details, sorry.

Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply!

For anyone else considering this vocation, I spoke to my pastor about it and he urged me to contact the programs directly and ask about their placement numbers, since the number of deaconesses is growing faster than the number of positions, at least for now.

My daughter became a DCE and loved her classes,some on line and a very little time required on campus (she did Concordia Saint Paul.) After graduation she had a very hard time finding a church that could afford a full time new staff member. She got 10 hour a week jobs instead. She finally gave up on being a DCE.

The Lutheran Churches sometimes have a 2 year training program under lay ministry. The graduates become Deacons or Parish assistants.Some wear robes and stoles. The women are sometimes mistaken for Deaconesses.
Graduates might help with communion distribution, visit shut ins, help when the pastor is gone, but they are usually volunteers not paid staff. Some congregations allow the women graduates to do what the men do, other allow only a very few ways to serve to woman. My daughter her husband and another Son in law and I all graduated from this program. Her church in Colorado does not accept deacons/parish assistants at all. My son in law filled in as Pastor when the regular pastor was gone. My church allows me to do a few things behind the scenes and help with communion. I teach adult Sunday School. I get to do nursing home ministry when the Pastor can not do it. I could be reimbursed for my car's gas if I asked. Otherwise no pay is available or desired. One graduate got to be the church secretary and is paid for 10 hours a week, but works 40 or more.
My advise, if you want to become a 4 years degreed Deaconess just to serve God, go for it. If you want to serve God and support yourself and possibly your family, first find a church to two or three that can afford you and talk to them about what they look for in candidates for their ministry.

To get the FACTS, go directly to the source! Either reach out to an ordained LCMS pastor, or at least search the LCMS website for their official practices and policies. I am an LCMS Lutheran and this is what I do.

Since I can't post links, here's what to do to find the resources I was going to refer you ...

Go the the LCMS website (lcms . org) and type in "deaconess" into the search area. The page titled "Deaconess Ministry - The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod" will be the first item listed. Click on it to learn all about deaconesses in the LCMS.

To learn more about the role of women in the LCMS, go to Google and search "ordain women LCMS". There you will find two trustworthy documents published by the LCMS. Read through both "The Ordination of Women to the Pastoral Office" and "Women in the Church: Scriptural Principles and Ecclesial Practice".

Hope this helps!