Province 1 Deacons Formation Program 

An Overview of the Role of Diaconal Ministry
(Adapted from the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts)

The word “deacon” comes from the Greek language and the biblical concept of diakonia.  Diakonos is commonly defined as servant ministry, particularly to the poor, the sick and the oppressed. Jesus is the model for the servant leadership, and a deacon is called to exercise servant leadership in a variety of ways, including encouraging and enabling others to serve.  A deacon has one foot in the world and one foot in the church.

The deacon’s service is a sign or sacrament of Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve.  The diaconate is one of three distinct orders of ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church—there are deacons, priests and bishops—and an individual becomes a deacon by being ordained by a bishop after completing a course of study and formation. The liturgy of ordination of a deacon in The Book of Common Prayer (page 543) identifies that:

"In the name of Jesus Christ, you are to serve all people, particularly the poor, the weak, the sick and the lonely.  As a deacon in the Church, you are to study the Holy Scriptures, to seek nourishment from them and to model your life upon them.  You are to make Christ and his redemptive love known, by word and example, to those among whom you live, and work and worship.  You are to interpret to the Church the needs, concerns and hopes of the world.  You are to assist the bishop and priests in public worship and in the ministration of God's Word and Sacraments, and you are to carry out other duties assigned to you from time to time.  At all times, your life and teaching are to show Christ's people that in serving the helpless they are serving Christ himself."

Overview of the Province I Deacons Formation Program

Province I is launching a two-year deacon formation program with a pattern of two month-long courses that include online lectures & conversations followed by a quarterly weekend retreat. After the Inaugural Orientation Weekend, Sept 18-20 at Holy Family Retreat Center in West Hartford, CT, the cycle will be

• online courses in Hebrew Bible and Christian Testament followed by retreat on the prophetic voice of the deacon
• online courses in Theology and retreat on the theology of the deaconate, 
• online courses in Church History and Anglican Tradition and retreat on the Anglican diaconate through history 
• online courses in Community Organizing and retreat on the Deacon as Community Organizer
• online courses in Liturgics and retreat on the Deacon in the Lutyrgy
• online courses in Ethics and retreat on Integrating Ethics in the Diaconate
• online courses in Spirituality and Self Care and retreat on Maintating a Vibrant Spiritual Life

The Deacons Formation Program will also include Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) or an alternative, field education/site internship, safe church training, cultural competency and anti-racism training, Title IV and mandated reporting traing, and a capstone project/portfolio.

Process

Each diocese has developed its own discernment process for those who feel called to diaconal ministry. Intial applications to the Deacon Formation Program should be done through your diocesan Commission on Ministry (COM). Those who have been accepted into the 2015-2017 cohort should register here for the Orientation weekend. 

Please contact Julie Lytle, Executive Director of Province I, with any questions.

Register Now!