Every once in a while, I am asked, “What is a deacon?” and “What is the ministry of a deacon?” Here’s a brief explanation.
“Deacons are persons called by God, authorized by the Church, and ordained by a bishop to a lifetime ministry of Word, Service, Compassion, and Justice” (UMC Discipline 2020/2024, ¶329).
The role of deacon is an expression of the diaconate. Just as the people of God participate in the priesthood of all believers, we all also participate in “the diaconate of all believers.” Laity as well as clergy find their vocation within the ministry of all Christians, both priestly and diaconal.
The United Methodist Church consecrates, commissions, and ordains individuals as deaconesses, home missioners, and deacons when that diaconal vocation is recognized and affirmed by the community of faith in mutual covenant. I invited us to think of these members of the diaconate as missionaries.
The words deacon and diaconate come from the Greek word diakonia. The Greek word is often translated as servant or servanthood, for example, in the words of Jesus: “The greatest among you will be your servant [diakonos]” (Mt 23:11). Jesus exemplified diakonia by washing his disciples’ feet. Thus, the basin and towel are symbols of diakonia for the whole church.
Diakonia is also translated as ministry. For example, “God . . . has given us the ministry [diakonīan] of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18). Diakonia can also simply mean service, based on Acts 6:1-4. The apostles selected Stephen and six others for the service [diakonia] of the physical needs of widows so that the apostles could focus on the service [diakonia] of the word [of God]. Thus, Stephen (Acts 6:1-4) and Phoebe (Rom. 16:1) are remembered as the first diakonos.
The image of lowly humble service, however, belies the power of diakonia. Diakonia is Christian-motivated social service—but it is much more than living out one’s faith by helping others.
Missional diakonia empowers our neighbors through service in Christ. Diakonia is the work of an emissary, a messenger or mediator sent by a person in a position of power. Thus, there is an apostolic dimension of diakonia—we are called by God and sent out into the world.
As a missional enterprise, diakonia is provocative, “calling into being . . . new ways of seeing, judging and acting” for the liberation and empowerment of the poor, suffering, and oppressed. According to the World Council of Churches, “We cannot understand or practice diakonia apart from justice and peace. Service cannot be separated from prophetic witness or the ministry of reconciliation.” (p. 33).
Thus, diakonia transforms persons and communities.
Deacons lead this transformation as emissaries of our risen Lord. In the UMC, “Deacons are persons called by God, authorized by the Church, and ordained by a bishop to a lifetime ministry of Word, Service, Compassion, and Justice” (Discipline, ¶329). Deacons assist and lead in worship, celebrate the sacraments, and preach the word of God.
The ministry of each deacon is unique. Deacons bridge the church and the world, seeking out the margins and finding solidarity with the poor. Deacons work in many diverse settings and jobs, such as teachers, social workers, nurses, chaplains, artists, administrators, counselors, and so on. And deacons lead and equip the laity to join in this work of liberating service, to which we have all been called.
Resources
Nessan, Craig L., and Darryl W. Stephens, eds. Diaconal Studies: Lived Theology for the Church in North America. Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2024.
Stephens, Darryl W., and Myka Kennedy Stephens. “A Post-Colonial Response to Servant Leadership: Reclaiming Diakonia from Greenleaf.” Currents in Theology and Mission 52, no. 2 (April 2025): 10–17.
World Council of Churches and ACT Alliance. Called to Transformation: Ecumenical Diakonia. Geneva: WCC Publications, 2022.