Last Orders? Restoring the priority of the diaconate
Jonathan Halliwell writes:
Feedback from the national distinctive deacons’ conference (02/11/24) was overwhelmingly positive. Many appreciated the presence of recently appointed champion +Pete Wilcox, who addressed the conference about the importance of the diaconate and encouraged DDs to persevere in the face of challenges and misconceptions about their distinctive ministries. Respondents valued the stories from deacons at senior oversight level; the session on “flourishing as a curate” and the diverse voices heard throughout the conference. In future, they would appreciate spending longer in break-out rooms to get to know other participants, and 74% of respondents were in favour of convening the conference on Zoom.
Restoring the Diaconate’s Vision and Role
In the morning session, Bishop Pete expressed his appreciation for the diversity of the group and acknowledged the challenges faced by deacons due to the Church of England’s tendency to see the diaconate as a probationary year for priesthood. He praised the freedom and confidence that deacons enjoy in their ministry. He emphasized the importance of the diaconate and encouraged those exploring this ministry to seriously consider it as an option within the Church of England.
Bishop Pete said it can often appear as if the CofE behaves as if there are ‘two and a bit’ orders of ministry, and he discussed his commitment to restoring the vision of the diaconate as a fully restored third order in the Church of England. He expressed his enthusiasm for the role of the diaconate and his plans to work with Nick Mckee* and Helen Fraser* to develop a strategy for the contribution of a distinctive diaconate in the Church of England, starting with the development of a reliable database.
Deacons’ Diaconal Oversight and Ministry
Joy Gilliver
Joy Gilliver, the head of discernment in the National Ministry Development Team, also spoke about the nature of diaconal ministry, emphasizing its flexibility, multifaceted, and nuanced nature. She highlighted the importance of diaconal ministry in animating the diaconal ministry of the whole church. Canon Rebecca Swyer, Director for Apostolic Life in Chichester diocese, and Canon Rachel Bennett, Chaplain at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, two distinctive deacons, shared their experiences of living out their diaconal ministry in their respective senior roles.
Joy concluded by quoting Pope John Paul II. She suggested it was important for all vocations, but profoundly so for Deacons:
“We need heralds of the Gospel who are experts in humanity, who know the depths of the human heart, who can share the joys, the hopes, the agonies, the distress of people today, but who are, at the same time, contemplatives who have fallen in love with God.”
Flourishing in curacy: challenges and opportunities
Jonathan Halliwell (DD) and Michael Roden (TI) reported how the introduction of the Qualities and Evidences for ordained diaconal ministry in the Church of England had shaped Jonathan’s thinking about his curacy. Jonathan highlighted the shift from criteria to qualities, including love for God, call to ministry, love for people, wisdom, fruitfulness, potential, and trustworthiness. One of the outcomes of this conference is to create a resource for training incumbents, to help them think more clearly about the focus and trajectory of diaconal ministry; to get a good ‘mix’ between diaconal training opportunity and the need to cover the basics of parish ministry.
Heather Ross (DD) stressed the importance of a carefully-planned working agreement, as this helps her to manage her time well as she crosses boundaries between the parish and the NHS.
Rachel Fielding & Andrew Horsfall challenged the Church of England to explore the possibility of resourcing stipendiary pioneer ministries for deacons, and to develop more tailored training resources for distinctive deacons during IME 2. Rachel also highlighted the deacon’s advocacy role within the deanery, raising awareness of the diaconate by speaking at vocation groups.
Some ways forward
Members of the steering committee restated their commitment to develop resources to assist curates and training incumbents at the start of IME2. Deacons in training will also approach their IME2 officers to offer specific input on diaconal ministry.
They seek to encourage fellow distinctive deacons to be more visible and vocal about their role in dioceses, deaneries, and parishes, thereby raising awareness and understanding of the distinctive diaconate. Find ideas and encouragement here: https://cofedeacons.org/2017/10/25/raising-the-profile-of-the-diaconate-in-your-area/
Deacons will try to develop a strong spiritual life and contemplative prayer practice, which is at the root of their calling to love and serve Christ.
** Rev Canon Nick McKee, Director for Ministry for the Church of England
Rev Helen Fraser, Deputy Director of Ministry for the Church of England
CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons 