Deacon is a paid position?

[Healed_IHS]

I just came across the agenda for our assembly meeting where it discusses salaries. Deacon was on there. Is that really a paid position?

 

[Markus6]

I just came across the agenda for our assembly meeting where it discusses salaries. Deacon was on there. Is that really a paid position?

Surely it depends how much work there is for a deacon to do and whether the church can provide their salary?

 

[ebia]

I just came across the agenda for our assembly meeting where it discusses salaries. Deacon was on there. Is that really a paid position?

Why not? Of course, I'm sure there are lots of non-stipendary deacons out there also.

 

[AngCath]

It depends on the diocese from what I have heard.

 

[MKJ]

Some large churches have full time deacons, but not many. But I think it has more to do with a lack of vocational deacons. Here deacons are often put in the position of priest-in-charge and are ordained to the priesthood lickety-split six months later.

But in a big parish it makes a lot of sense, it seems a logical way to divide up the duties that need attending to.

 

[Healed_IHS]

Did a little more research. Appears transitional deacons are paid, vocational isn't. Seems to be a disparity, IMHO. I mean, when I first heard deacons were getting paid, it made it seem less of an altruistic ministry, more of a job.

But to expect the same workload from both (as I have witnessed at an ex church) while only paying one...

Then again, since it isn't paid, maybe I will look into it again. Really wanted an intentional way of serving that was altruistic as possible.

 

[Yardstick]

Just give your salary back through the offering then.

 

[Albion]

I just came across the agenda for our assembly meeting where it discusses salaries. Deacon was on there. Is that really a paid position?

Depends on the wishes of the parish or diocese. Some don't even pay the vicar while others pay lay officials. BUT a deacon is an ordained clergyperson, so paying a salary of some sort is entirely reasonable.

 

[Healed_IHS]

Just give your salary back through the offering then.

Well I guess transitional ones could, my diocese doesn't pay vocational.

 

[PaladinValer]

From what I've been told, a deacon who is going to go on to be ordained a priest is paid.

As for the permanent diaconate, I really don't know. I suppose it is up to the diocese; perhaps even down to the parish level.

 

[ebia]

From what I've been told, a deacon who is going to go on to be ordained a priest is paid.

Presumably they are paid if they are going to be a stipendary priest, and not if they are going to be an NSM, OLM, Pioneer Minister or similar.

As for the permanent diaconate, I really don't know. I suppose it is up to the diocese; perhaps even down to the parish level.

Its probably also a question of the person's calling. Are they going into this full time or not.

 

[Finella]

Since all the vocational deacons I know also had "day jobs," they were making a living outside of their official diaconal work. Even in the program-sized parish I had joined, the deacon's job wasn't full-time. That deacon was an audiologist, and other vocational deacons I knew were an occupational therapist and a psychotherapist. I don't know if they got paid for being deacons at all, but my impression was, if so, this was not the main source of income. They also viewed and approached their paid jobs as part of their vocation and ministry.