THE NEED FOR DISTINCTIVE DEACONS ON GENERAL SYNOD, by Deacon Rebecca Swyer

As the Church of England grapples with issues of injustice, bias and exclusion, deacons have something important to contribute as those who go out into the ‘forgotten corners of the world’ (CW Ordinal). The next Synod will prayerfully grapple with the next steps of Living in Love and Faith and with what good disagreement and mutual flourishing really look like. Surely this links strongly to our role of go-between and agents of compassion and love?

DISTINCTIVE DEACON CHARISMS: REV IAN MCINTOSH

What we have noticed as we have prepared these statements are four particular areas which mark out the ministry of a distinctive deacon and which we have distilled from the more detailed evidence work.  They are not earth-shattering and many of you will be exemplifying them already.  But they do go some way to articulating what this ministry is all about.  In particular, these points might help to sharpen where this ministry is indeed distinctive and different from that of a priest.