Vocation
Order or structure within the church is intended to facilitate the church in its diaconal ministry. Those who are specifically called and licensed to operate as public representatives of the church, are licensed not to 'do' the work, but to encourage and enable it; not to have personal status, but to raise awareness within the church community of loving service which needs to be done.
The Church of England recognises and licenses diaconal ministry in a variety of ways.
Click on one of the following links for more information:
- The diaconal foundation of ordination
- Priests
- Deacons
- Accredited Lay Workers
- Church Army
- Religious Communities
- Office of Reader
- Considering the Diaconate?
The diaconal foundation of ordination
The three-fold order of clergy (deacon, priest and bishop) is founded in the diaconal ministry of all the baptised. In the tradition of the Church of England, no-one can be ordained to the priesthood before first being ordained as 'deacon'. Priests and bishops remain foundationally deacons.
Priests
Those called to the order of priest (or presbyter) serve about a year as a 'transitional' deacon in preparation. The main focus of the priest's ministry is reconciliation. Priests have a special responsibility to focus, represent and motivate the whole church in Christ's work of reconciliation.
Deacons
Those called to the order of deacon remain vocationally in this order and may be referred to as 'distinctive' or 'vocational' deacons. Deacons have a special responsibility to focus, represent and motivate the whole church in Christ's work of service amongst the vulnerable and marginalised.
Deacons hold a bishop's licence and are deployable across the diocese. They work within the wider community, relating with other agencies to discern social needs and find creative ways of tackling difficult issues of need or injustice.
They help to bring these needs to the attention of the church and facilitate church action where appropriate. They have a liturgical role in worship that reflects collaborative ministry.
Accredited Lay Workers
Accredited Lay Workers (ALW) were first licensed to minister diaconally in communities where social need was considerable in the 19th century.
The office was initially for women, at a time when exercising public ministry through ordination was not open to them. The office is now open to men and women and the selection and training processes are similar to those for ordination. ALWs hold the bishop's licence and can be deployed widely.
Church Army
Church Army officers are legally licensed as ALWs. They are Lay Evangelists and minister within parish communities alongside clergy and lay. The Church Army trains and sends Evangelists to work in five areas of focus: area evangelism; children and young people; church planting; homeless people; older people.
For more information on the Church Army, visit www.churcharmy.org.uk.
Religious Communities
The Society of St Francis is a religious community open to men and women seeking the religious life in community and committed to diaconal service in the world, following the example of St Francis, deacon.
For more information, please visit their website at www.franciscans.org.uk.
Office of Reader
Readers are lay people trained and licensed (and deployable across a diocese) to a ministry of teaching and preaching in the church. Although Readers may undertake diaconal ministry, taking seriously the call to all the baptised to engage in Christ's servant ministry in the world, and to encourage others in the process, the role for which they are licensed is teaching and preaching within the witnessing community and assisting the priest to lead services of worship.
There are large numbers of Readers across the Church of England, making a valuable contribution to the life of the church, and there exists a Central Readers Board to represent them.
For more information please visit www.readers.cofe.anglican.org.
Considering the Diaconate?
A suggested guidance statement by Paul Avis to Readers and others considering the Diaconate is that;
"Their development in ministry must demonstrate one that is outward looking, community based and which leads others out into service beyond the congregational membership."
For more information, please visit the Church of England Ministry Division. Alternatively, if you would like to meet a deacon in your area, or to talk to someone about the diaconate, please contact us.