The keynote speaker, Dr Richard Tiplady, of the Scottish Episcopal Institute, argued that the ministry of the distinctive or vocational deacon can be described by the terms ‘pioneer’ or ‘entrepreneur’. These characterise a ministry which is dynamic and relational, which involves accepting risk and being prepared to fail, but which crucially enables others to play their part in God’s kingdom.
Tag: CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons
“go in the peace of Christ to love and serve the world”!
It is very important to describe the role of Distinctive Deacons in terms of what they are and what they do: and not in terms of ‘status’ or what they can’t do.
We deacons 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.
CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons 