Has anyone ever said to you ‘we don’t need deacons any more’? Or ‘why do we need deacons – we’ve got pioneer ministers and licensed lay ministers’: or words to that effect?
(picture courtesy of Harrogate Advertiser)
We deacons find we have to get used to people questioning our identity and purpose. It’s not only individuals who fail to understand: sometimes a diocese will simply ignore our vocation and seem unable to fathom it or understand how it fits in with other ministries. It can be upsetting and distressing.
All this is far too common in the life of the #distinctivedeacon. To counter it, we’ve asked Bishop James Newcome to tell us how he sees the place of the diaconate in the life of the diocese. He is bishop of the diocese of Carlisle, the patron of the Network of Distinctive Deacons, Archbishop’s Deacons’ Champion in the House of Bishops, and a long-time enthusiast and supporter for this ministry.
You’re welcome and invited to attend our CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons’ conference on 30 April to hear what he has to say, and discuss with him and a panel of distinguished guests his vision for the diaconate. It should be a time of encouragement, fresh vision, and new confidence in God’s place for us in the body of Christ.
Sign up here today! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-place-of-the-diaconate-in-the-diocese-with-bishop-james-newcome-tickets-268107977177?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch
You’ll find more details, plus a programme for the morning, to whet your appetite. Do share them with your vocations advisers and DDOs, other distinctive deacons, any enquirers you know, and incumbents with DDs.
CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons 