diakoneoGreek: To be a servanT; To serve

February, 2016Dear friends,This issue is being sent to all deacons in The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in Canada. We

hope that for those of you who are not members of our Association, you will review what’s happening in the larger deacon community and consider membership. With over 3,000 deacons in The Episcopal Church and 373 in the Anglican Church in Canada, we are growing as a ministry, and have lots to do together! As we look forward in 2016, we’re excited. Members can take pride that they’ve helped support:

• A diaconal presence at The Episcopal Church’s 78th General Convention that topped all records for participation. The AED slate of endorsed legislation was all adopted, and we took a major role in the passage of several pieces of legislation related to issues dear to the diaconal heart – including Spanish-language deacon formation.

• AED and Canadian deacons celebrated their close ties when AED’s then-president Tina Campbell visited the Canadian deacons’ national gathering and Deacon Maylanne Maybee of Canada played a significant role in AED’s Vocational Development Council.

• Continued growth in attendance of our Archdeacon and Deacon Directors Conference (now dubbed “A3D”). Those with responsibility for deacon formation gather for three days annually for a collaborative learning lab, with over 50 dioceses represented.

• We continue to be the “go-to” source for requests for information, publications and speakers. We are also making steady progress toward more electronic communication, with a carefully curated set of resources online and a monthly email newsletter chockful of deacon news.

• A renewal of our relationship with the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in offering quality online courses at a discount to our AED members, with new subjects and new teachers.

• Planning for our Triennial Assembly with The Episcopal Church’s new Presiding Bishop Michael Curry as preacher, vibrant workshops by missional church experts Craig Van Gelder and Bishop Ian Douglas, tips from CPG for deacon spiritual and financial wellness, and a special Open Space for attendees under 40.

We know deacons have many calls on their time and money, and we promise to do our best to be good stewards of your membership dollars. We hope that those of you who are members will continue in your support. We also hope that those of you who are not members will join us soon! Please know how grateful we are for your support as we continue to promote the diaconate.

Faithfully, Lori Mills-Curran Lauren Welch Deacon and AED Executive Director Deacon and AED President

Canadian Deacons can join AED by purchasing a “Blended Membership” through the Association of Anglican Deacons in Canada which provides full member benefits in AED. Visit www.anglicandeacons.ca or contact Deacon Jacqueline Bouthéon at aadc.members@sympatico.ca.

q Annual Student/Limited Income . . $30q Annual Regular: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50q Annual Sustaining: . . . . . . . . . . . . . $75q Annual Supporting: . . . . . . . . . . . $150q Annual Patron: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250

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As a member you’ll receive Diakoneo magazine 4 times per year. Additional benefits of membership include:

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Join by mailing this form:AED Membership Office

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AED is a membership-funded association of persons and dioceses within The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in Canada whose mission is to increase participation and involvement of all baptized persons in Christ’s diaconal ministry, especially by promoting and supporting the diaconate. AED encourages every diocese to develop programs to ordain deacons, and provides resources to recruit and select, form, deploy, supervise and support deacons.

I am a:q deacon q presbyter q bishop

I am in formation for: q deacon q presbyter

q I want to be a deacon q I am a friend

AED’s Objectives are:• To promote the servant ministry of all the baptized• To lead the Church in seeking justice and peace for all people• To support and represent deacons within the Church

Current AED activities include:• Facilitating communications among deacons and all ministers• Diakoneo - a quarterly journal with articles by and for deacons• Monthly Deacon Update emails, an AED Facebook Page and Facebook group• Sharing information on diocesan diaconate programs• An annual conference for archdeacons and program directors responsible for the

formation and supervision of deacons• Providing leadership and resources for workshops and conferences on the diaconate• Representation of the diaconal voice in the leadership structures of the Episcopal Church

Yes, I’d like to join AED in supporting the work of servant ministry in The Episcopal Church. q Life Membership . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,000 (A 24 monthly payment plan is available, online only.)q Extended Life Membership . . . . . $400+ (Additional payments, by check, of $300 each due at 12 and 24 months. Not available online.)

ENGAGING THE DIAKONIA OF ALL BELIEVERS

ASSOCIATION FOR EPISCOPAL DEACONS

GIVE AED MEMBERSHIP

AS A GIFT!

Canadian deacons can join AED by purchasing a “Blended Membership” through the Association of Anglican Deacons in Canada, which provides full member benefits in AED.

Visit www.anglicandeacons.ca or contact Deacon Jacqueline Bouthéon at aadc.members@sympatico.ca.

diakoneoDOTAC in BrAzil

www.episcopaldeacons.org 3

the AssociAtion for episcopAl DeAcons | engAging the DiAkoniA of All believers

FEBRUARY 2016

Greek: To be a servanT; To serve

IN THIS ISSUE

DOTAC in Brazil . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3From the President . . . . . . . . . . . . 4From the Executive Director . . . . 5Triennial Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Serving on the Margin . . . . . . . . . 730th Anniversary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Thank You & Welcome . . . . . . . . 9Moved by Deacons’ Stories . . . . . 10Wellness Conference . . . . . . . . . 11News from AED’s Board . . . . . . 12Diocese of St. Ives . . . . . . . . . . . 13Ministry of Presence . . . . . . . . . . 15Newly Ordained . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Visit AED online at www.episcopaldeacons.org

Become a member of AED - Support our work & mission!

Diakonia of the Americas and Caribbean (DOTAC) is an organization that serves

deacons, deaconesses and diaconal ministers in the Western Hemisphere. It is a part of the World Diakonia Federation. DOTAC held its quadrennial assembly this past October in Porto Alegre, Brazil. For the first time, there were four Episcopal deacons present: Lauren Welch, Maureen Hagen, Jamesetta Hammons and me, Pam Nesbit.As the AED representative to the DOTAC

Central Committee I arrived in Brazil a week early. The Central Committee met at the deaconess community house – a retreat center and retirement community – while we did our work. The Central Committee seeks ways that our various communities can support and learn from one another. The Assemblies that are held every four years are one way in which we do that. The DOTAC conference moves from country

to country at each quadrennial meeting. The last meeting was in Oklahoma City, where we were

able to learn about the ministries arising from the tragic destruction of the Murrah Federal Building in 1995. In Brazil we were introduced to diaconal ministry in that country, most of which is lead by the Lutheran Church in Brazil. The deaconess community in Brazil is alive and well and doing ministries in the world in many ways. At every DOTAC Assembly there is a day when we all go out to visit local ministry sites. In Porto Allegre we visited hospitals, schools, orphanages and micro-businesses such as that which produces hand-woven, hand-dyed clothing to make money to help support these ministries. Some of these ministries are quite large and have government support. Others are very small, such as the paper-making center and the five-person recycling ministry that uses a horse and cart to

By The VenerABle PAm nesBiT

DIAKONIA OF THE AMERICAS AND CARIBBEAN (DOTAC)

Diaconal Ministry in Brazil

All of these ministries, large and small, are connected through the deaconess community.

In October, four deacons from the Episcopal Church traveled to Brazil for DOTAC’s quadrennial assembly.

Continued on page 6

At the Catedral Da Santíssima Trindade: Bishop Orlando Santos de Oliveira, Lauren Welch, Pam Nesbit, Maureen Hagen, Jamesetta Hammons, The Very Rev. Marinez R. Santos Bassotto - Cathedral Dean.

ENGAGING THE DIAKONIA OF ALL BELIEVERS

ASSOCIATION FOR EPISCOPAL DEACONS

AED ON SOCIAL MEDIALike AED’s Facebook pageJoin AED’s Facebook group.

Sign up for AED’s enewsletter AED’s Yahoo Groups Anglodeacons and Archdeacons

4 February 2016

FEBRUARY 2016

AED is a membership-funded association of persons and dioceses within The Episcopal Church whose mission is to increase participation and involvement of all baptized persons in Christ’s diaconal ministry, especially by promoting and supporting the diaconate. Diakoneo is published quarterly by the Association for Episcopal Deacons.P.O. Box 1516Westborough, MA 01581-6516Phone: 508-873-1881

OfficersDn. Lauren Welch, PresidentDn. Maureen-Elizabeth Hagen,

Vice President Archdn. Genevieve Grewell, SecretaryDn. Michael Kitt, TreasurerDn. Tina R. Campbell, Past President

BOard Of directOrsArchdn. Douglas Argue Archdn. Elaine Bellis Johnna Dominguez The Rev. Canon Kate Harrigan The Rev. Carol Jablonski Dn. Geri SwansonDn. Susan Page, liaison to the Association

of Anglican Deacons in Canada (AADC) Dr. Bradley PetersonThe Right Reverend Gregory H. Rickel

staff and LiaisOn OfficersDn. Lori Mills-Curran, Executive Director

lmcii@aol.com

Dn. Anne Pillot, Communications Director, Editor, Web Deacon

communications@episcopaldeacons.org

Dn. Catherine Costas, Membership Director Membership Office:

PO Box 391197 Mountain View, CA 94039 membership@episcopaldeacons.org

Dn. Tim Spannaus, Vocational Development & Lifelong Learning Advisory Council

Convener deacon@tspannaus.com

©2016 Volume 38 No. 1 ISSN 1070-7875

“love...live the questions”Inspired by community in BrazilBy DeACOn lAuren WelCh

I am writing this column in the midst of Advent as we are preparing and waiting for Christ to come anew in our hearts and lives, aspiring and longing to be filled with love

and mercy, peace and justice, compassion and kindness. Hope seems dim when we witness all the violence and darkness which surround us in our country and the world, yet the anticipation of love incarnate prevails!I attended the Diakonia of the American and Caribbean

(DOTAC) Conference in Porte Alegre, Brazil this past October along with Pam Nesbit, Maureen Hagen and Jamesetta Hammons. There were twelve diverse diaconal communities of various denominations representing about one hundred

participants. The conference theme, “Diakonia of Jesus - From Crumbs to Full Communion,” focused on the contrast between the inclusive, abundant life presented by Jesus and the fearful, scarce life that excludes and enslaves. We came from different cultures, faith communities and spoke different languages, yet we

shared a passion for community centered on relationship with one another and grounded in the diakonia of Jesus. We had a common language — the language of love and inclusiveness of the One we follow. From the moment we stepped off the plane in Porte Alegre we were greeted with welcoming smiles and joy, no matter how much rain was pouring outside. Throughout the conference to our closing Eucharist a heartfelt community formed with strangers in a strange land. We visited the sites of local ministries around Porte Alegre that were collaborating with other

denominations, faiths, businesses, non-profits and the government to provide the needed resources for people who are under the table, rendering these people visible and inviting them to take a seat at the table, creating a more authentic and equitable community for all. Always we were met with generous hospitality, enthusiasm, embracing diversities and openness to transformation.Experiencing genuine community inspired me on returning to Maryland to contact a

Lutheran Deaconess and a United Methodist Deaconess to see if, working together, we might gather Episcopal Deacons, Lutheran Deaconesses, Diaconal Ministers and United Methodist Deaconesses and Home Missioners/Missionaries to develop relationships, learn from one another and nurture diakonia in our communities. We speak and understand the language of diakonia which is an essential element of creating genuine community. Together we have many stories to share of ways we are engaging the diakonia of all believers and engaging God’s mission in the world. The more interfaith, ecumenical and diverse social relationships we engage, the greater we broaden our understanding of God’s love and vision for all creation, and the more hope and light we will see in the darkness.

FrOm The PresiDenT

ENGAGING THE DIAKONIA OF ALL BELIEVERS

ASSOCIATION FOR EPISCOPAL DEACONS

• Deacon’s experience of PB Curry’s Installation - Loved it! by Mary Lee Wile• Refugee Curriculum/Toolkit - Written by Deacon Linda Shelton, Diocese of Texas• Tiny House built by Minnesota church for homeless; deacon part of blessing.

NEWSONLINEVisit www.episcopaldeacons.org/diakoneo-magazine for links to these articles of deacons’ ministries and experiences in the world.

www.episcopaldeacons.org 5

TrienniAl AssemBly

A Future with DeaconsBy DeACOn lOri mills-CurrAn

Susanne Watson Epting’s new book, Unexpected Consequences: The Diaconate Renewed, has greatly

influenced my thinking this year. I have traveled to the Diocese of Kentucky to teach it, and taught it in my own diocese, Massachusetts. Everywhere I go, I run into deacons who find the book helps a great deal with understanding diaconal life. It labels and makes plain many of the challenges of diaconal ministry. I urge all of you to read it, perhaps using the study guide published in the November 2015 Diakoneo. If the premise of Susanne’s book is that the

diaconate “morphs” with each era to meet the church’s current contextual needs at the local level (which I believe the evidence shows), how are we to plan for the future of it? How is the Association for Episcopal Deacons to judge its relevance and work product? Mulling over this, in the context of all the

fund-raising training I am doing for AED, has left me a smidge overwhelmed. How do we fundraise to do a job and fulfill needs we cannot even define?I think the thing that most encourages me

is the certainty I see in the minds and hearts of several young adults who are working with AED, or are members of AED, or acquaintances of my own. They seem to assume that whatever the future is, deacons will be needed. The Episcopal ones of them have grown up

FrOm The exeCuTiVe DireCTOr

calendarwhat’s comingARCHDEACON & DEACON DIRECTORS’ CONFERENCE

Feb 25-28, 2016 San Antonio, TX

>>register now online at episcopaldeacons.org/aed-events

AED TRIENNIAL ASSEMBLY - DIAKONIA: ENGAGING GOD’S MISSION

June 16-19, 2016Oak Ridge Hotel & Conference Center, Minneapolis, MNOur new Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will celebrate and preach at the Opening Eucharist.See below for more details.

DOVE: DIAKONIA OVERCOMING VIOLENCE EXPERIENCE

September 19-23, 2016Crieff Hills Conference Center, Punslinch (near Toronto), Ontario, Canada. See pg. 11 for details.

DIAKONIA WORLD ASSEMBLYJune 28-July 5, 2017Chicago, ILDetails to come.

To include your deacon event contact communications@episcopaldeacons.org.

in a world that never, in their experience, existed without deacons front and center in the church’s efforts to serve the poor and hungry. So they don’t contemplate a church without deacons. Those who did not grow up in the Episcopal Church have been thrilled to find a denomination with an order in it that is designed to serve those in need, not to run churches. As we move forward to the Triennial

Assembly, I encourage you to think through who you might know that could use some information about what we will do there. We hope over 150 deacons will gather in Chaska, Minnesota this June, to enjoy the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and discuss the future of the diaconate in the missional church. We will be led and taught by several experts in managing the uncertainty the church faces in all areas, resource people worth listening to: • Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, always

inspiring as he invites us forward into the next manifestation of “The Jesus Movement”;

• Bp. Ian Douglas of Connecticut (a leader in global mission);

• Author Craig van Gelder, one of the definers of the term “missional church.”

We will see you in Minnesota, at this seminal event.

Visit www.episcopaldeacons.org for details.

• Opening Eucharist with new Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, celebrant & preacher

• Workshops on the deacon as part of the missional church, featuring Craig Van Gelder, Bp. Ian Douglas and others

ENGAGING GOD’S MISSION: DIAKONIA

AED Triennial AssemblyThursday, June 16 – Sunday, June 19, 2016

Chaska, MN • Oak Ridge Hotel & Conference Center

JOIN YOUR FELLOW DEACONS IN JUNE!

ACTIVITIES INCLUDE• Ministry Faire, Banquet, Exhibits, Open Space• Saturday evening in Minneapolis. Choose from

The Guthrie Theater, Pillsbury House Theatre, The Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus, the Twins vs the Yankees and more!

6 February 2016

pick up recycling because they can’t afford gas. All of these ministries, large and small, are connected through the deaconess community. In this way the diaconal ministry of the entire community is expressed and enhanced.I have served on the DOTAC Central Committee for almost five years,

and I have reported before in Diakoneo about DOTAC activities. As an Episcopal Deacon, I continue to be struck by the gift of community that is central to the ministry of deaconesses, especially in the Lutheran and United Methodist churches. These women have been so successful in supporting ministry among themselves, that the men of their denominations have insisted on becoming part of these communities. Thus we now have Deacons in the Lutheran Deaconess Association and Home Missioners in the UMC Deaconess Community. The call to serve the world in Christ’s name in community is very strong. I think that we in The Episcopal Church would be wise to learn the importance of community from our diaconal colleagues in other denominations. In order to do this, I think we should remember and honor our own

roots in the Episcopal Deaconess movement that ended in 1970, when Deaconesses were ordained to the diaconate, whether they wanted to be or not. Most Episcopal Deacons tend to compare ourselves to Transitional Deacons – I think because we all know Transitional Deacons and very few of us have ever met an Episcopal Deaconess.

Our clergy colleagues also tend to think of us in terms of their own transitional diaconal experience. The Episcopal Church often dismissed Deaconesses because they were women, and later forgot about them. We modern Episcopal Deacons have gone along with that. We often don’t remember the amazing ministries of these courageous women and their extraordinary contribution in the face of indifference and sometimes hostility. I think we would be wise to honor, remember and imitate their perseverance and their commitment to their community as we continue in our own call to engage the diakonia of all believers.There were four Episcopal Deacons at the DOTAC assembly last

November. I was thrilled to have so many of us at this event. We had a number of very productive conversations about the ministries and communities who attended the Assembly with us. I hope that this will begin a conversation in our Episcopal Diaconal community that will help us to incorporate the power and support that comes from a community committed to being a community. This is the gift our deaconess sisters and forebears have given us.

Pam Nesbit is the Archdeacon in the Diocese of Pennsylvania, and a past president of AED.

DOTAC, from page 3

The Central Committee stayed at the Deaconess Community House in Porto Alegre, and attended the Conference at a hotel.

Above: Visiting a ministry site in Porto Alegre.

Left: Dance at the Brazilian Steakhouse,Galpão Crioulo. Look closely - Deacons Maureen Hagen and Lauren Welch appear to have joined the dancers.

Deacons Lauren Welch and Pam Nesbit enjoyed experiencing Brazilian food, music and entertainment with participants.

www.episcopaldeacons.org 7

We all know that deacons serve on the margin between the Church and the World. That is our tradition, our teaching, our life. I would suggest another margin where a deacon

serve: the margin between Church and Monastery.Deacons are the bridge between the World and the Church, bringing

the Church to the World in service to the vulnerable and bringing the needs of the World to the Church in our preaching, teaching, and leadership. That was my margin too, for the first three years of my diaconate. Then I spent time living at a monastery. In coming back to my home church, retired from my secular job, I found myself serving the church in a multitude of ways, giving my time freely to many activities in the Church. At the same time, I had the uneasy feeling that I was falling short in my vows because I had no ministry in the World. I tried a few ministries in the World, none of which I could put my heart into, none of which felt like a response to a call. In the midst of this general dissatisfaction with my fulfillment of the role of deacon, it occurred to me that there is another margin, one lesser known, but a margin that can uniquely be bridged by a deacon: the margin between the Church and the Monastery.While I lived at the monastery (Holy Wisdom Monastery in Madison,

Wisconsin, an ecumenical Benedictine monastery for women), I delved deeply into the Rule of St. Benedict and saw it lived out. I was able to visit other monasteries and saw how the Rule was integrated into each unique place. I learned a deep spirituality in which one lived, worked, prayed and rested in a holy atmosphere. A spirituality in which sacredness permeated not just the prayer in the chapel, but the ordinary tasks of everyday living. I learned how the Rule invites everyone – of every level of spirituality, every denomination, all skills and talents and weaknesses – to become a part of the monastic community and be nurtured and mutually cared for. Coming to the monastery after having lived so many years in the world, I was impressed with the ability of the Rule to influence and assist those who remain in the world, providing guideposts for community living and personal spirituality even outside of the monastery.When I left the monastery and returned to my home parish, I became a

deacon on the margin between Church and the Monastery.The Examination in the Ordination Rite for Deacons (BCP page 543)

says that we “are called”: called to the Church, called to the diaconate, called to the monastery. To be called to monastic life is indeed a special calling, one offered to only a few.

serVing On The mArgin

Serving on the Margin: Between Church and MonasteryBy The. reV. mAry lynn ADAms, DeACOn, OBlOsB

We are “called to a special ministry of servanthood”, and the Rule of St. Benedict says we are called to mutual obedience: to obey the call to care for each other, to support each other, to bear one another’s burdens, to supply strength where there is weakness. On the margin between Church and Monastery, this life of mutual obedience is lived as a model for those we come in contact with.We are to “serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, the sick and

the lonely”. Deacons serve those who are financially poor, physically sick, politically weak and socially lonely. I have stood in awe of deacons who have quietly, sometimes heroically, served them and eased their lives. But there are also those who are spiritually poor, weak, sick and lonely, and here I serve using the Benedictine charism of listening, deeply listening to those who seek God and offering the community, stability, hospitality and balance practiced by Benedictines.We are to “study Holy Scriptures, to seek nourishment from them, and

to model [our lives] upon them”. Benedictine spirituality has taught me lectio divina, a way of studying and praying scripture, and this practice I have taught to others. The Rule is steeped in scripture, offering practical application of the Gospel message. On the margin between Church and Monastery, I integrate monastic practices into my life to the fullest extent possible.We are “to make Christ and His redemptive love known” and to live

a Benedictine life is to live as Christ lived and loved. Benedictines, like deacons, are to be icons of Christ.We are to “interpret to the Church the needs, concerns, and hopes

of the World”. Substitute the word “Monastery” for “World” and you have my role as evangelist for monastic life. To continue providing the world with a locus of prayer, contemplation and soul-growing peace, monasteries need the support of the Church. This means not only financial support, but also inclusion of monastic life in discernment processes, and encouragement of personal and group retreats at these sacred places, in which those seeking spiritual support for themselves provide financial support for the monastery.In being a deacon on the margin between Church and Monastery,

I help to bring the gifts of the church, its people and support, to the monastery; and help to bring the gifts of the monastery, its Benedictine spirituality and values, to the Church. Both are served, both are gifted. God has not given me the gift of working in the world, as my fellow deacons do: but he has given me the gift of monasticism, and I strive to live on the margin of Church and Monastery.

The Rev. Mary Lynn Adams is a deacon at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, De Pere, Wisconsin in the Diocese of Fond du Lac, and an oblate of Holy Wisdom Monastery, Madison, WI. www.benedictinewomen.org.

8 February 2016

30Th AnniVersAry

Continued on page 12

This article was written in celebration of 30th anniversary of Deacon Dan Fowler’s ordination to the diaconate. It has been edited for length.

It is a light-filled space with comfortable chairs and couches. The residents gather as they may, some walking in, some escorted in, some in walkers and wheelchairs. This is a locked facility because

the residents are all dementia victims but are mobile enough for some to want to flee. Some get visitors and some do not.Twice a month, Deacon Dan arrives with several helpers to offer a

devotions service to these residents. Part revival meeting, part bible lesson and mostly community building, the thirty minutes fly by with energy and radiant good will. The residents sing the oldest bible camp songs, prayers are offered, and this day, the center-piece of the service is a Godly Play lesson – a bible story told with manipulatives, simple language, and broad gestures. For the dementia residents, it is a brilliant adaptation of Godly Play. Blank faces come alive a bit as deep memories of bible camp songs and familiar bible stories and prayers are offered and, more importantly, remembered. Some participate more than others, but all are touched in some visible way by the resurrection, if only temporarily, of old memories of being in community with others, and being in communion with God. But the people most moved are the helpers who sit with the residents, hold their hands, look into their eyes, and become, for a time, members of this accidental community.On February 21, 2016, The Reverend Dan Fowler will celebrate

the thirtieth anniversary of his ordination to the diaconate. His early ministry was in the Diocese of El Camino Real where he served as Archdeacon for Bishops Shannon Mallory and Richard Shimpfky. Dan also served as deacon at The Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest, Ill. Dan and his wife moved to Bainbridge Island for retirement but Dan was soon busy with diaconal work through Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church. This new ministry is focused on the needs of our most senior citizens.While many churches are rightly orienting themselves toward

meeting the needs of younger members and often assume that the spiritual needs of the senior members of the church need not be addressed in any special manner, the increasing numbers of individuals living in senior communities or assisted living or life-care communities, away from families and their former neighborhoods, pose a particular challenge for churches. Their spiritual needs are real, as the vast majority of seniors have strong religious or spiritual beliefs. Some senior communities focus on particular denominational affiliations but most do not, so these special communities have a broad array of denominational and faith traditions among the residents.

The Devotions’ BeginningsBainbridge Island, Washington, has four such communities on an

island of approximately 22,000 people. About a decade ago, Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church recognized a need for a focused ministry

Being at the Sixth Age and Beyond:Volunteer Ministry to the Aging on Bainbridge Island, Washington By The reV. Dr. Dennis s. Tierney, reCTOr

for these residents and began providing weekly “devotions” at two senior community facilities on the island – Wyatt House and the Madison Avenue Retirement Center. A retired clergy, The Rev. Webster Barnett, made these visits and led the services. He also made visits to home-bound seniors around the island and visited the residents of a group home for special-needs adults until it closed.In 2008, The Rev. Dan Fowler,

Deacon at Saint Barnabas, joined Web in these weekly devotions at the two senior communities. Each Thursday, they led a devotions service based on “Day by Day” and once a month, assisted by two parishioners, offered a Holy Eucharist with healing service.Following Webster Barnett’s

death in 2011, Dan Fowler continued the services but recruited a resident in each community to be “the local evangelist.” Dan also recruited other parishioners to assist with this ministry. Dan is assisted in the music portion of the program by several island musicians. The parish also supported this ministry by offering quarterly luncheons for the residents, with a sit-down meal and entertainment at the parish hall. This has become a wonderful fellowship opportunity as some residents had not seen one another for years.The current thrust of these ministries is on building a spiritual

community among the residents. As new residents move in, they are encouraged to participate in these weekly gatherings and to care for one another’s spiritual needs. Over time, one of the parishioners brought her dog to services and that has delighted the residents. Another parishioner brings her two young sons and they have added charm and delight. Last year, we added music to the weekly services so that residents can sing the hymns that they remember. The congregation is remarkably inter-faith, with many denominations and faiths represented by the participants. As one Jewish woman remarked, “Well, you all read from our Scriptures, too!”Three years ago, Dan Fowler added a third facility to his round of

visitations. Island Rehabilitation Center is a facility that caters to short-term residents recovering from surgery and also has permanent

With a spirit of playfulness, Dan celebrates the blessing of the animals in his ministry to these elderly residents.

www.episcopaldeacons.org 9

After nearly 13 years as AED’s Membership Director, Deacon Jo Weber retired at the end of January. She began in May 2003, just before being ordained. “I basically created the position – there was no job description at the time.”

Over the years, Jo’s responsibilities have grown from her knowledge of databases to include the diocesan membership billing, the Deacon Directory, board meetings and most recently, developing complex lists for use in electronic communication. In her “other ministry”, Jo served as Instructor of Liturgy and Dean of Chapel at the School for Deacons, Berkeley, CA from 2005

until this past May. She’s served as deacon at two parishes and in January 2012, was appointed by the Rt. Rev. Mary Gray-Reeves to serve as Archdeacon of the Diocese of El Camino Real. She continues in that role, accompanying the bishop on many of her visitations.Thank you Jo, from all of us at AED for your tremendous gifts and dedication. We wish you an enjoyable retirement!

Thank You, Jo. Welcome, Catherine. AED’s Membership Director Transition

ThAnk yOu & WelCOme

From Jo Weber: I am very pleased that the association now has

a new Membership Director in place. Deacon Catherine Costas, who is a LIFE member of AED, brings to us an impressive skill set from her experience as a database manager in Silicon Valley companies; she currently works also as a contract vendor for the Church Pension Group.AED has intentionally engaged in transitioning

our leadership to the next generation of deacons. Three years ago, we began to search for and engage new persons for two of the three staff positions in AED. The Executive Director, Lori Mills-Curran, arrived in early 2013, followed in a few months by the new Communications Director, Anne Pillot. We have now completed the search for a new Membership Director. In addition to working with the wonderful board and staff of AED, a

great joy and privilege of my ministry in this office has been the opportunity to communicate with deacons, archdeacons and diocesan staff throughout the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada. I have come to regard many of you as “virtual colleagues”. These relationships have been most gratifying and I will miss you.My spouse (a retired priest) and I are now looking forward to fewer deadlines

in my life and more opportunities for us to “smell the roses”.In Christ’s service, Jo Weber

I’m a graduate from the Episcopal School for Deacons in Berkeley, and was ordained a deacon in the Diocese of California in December of 2004. I spent 2 years as deacon at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Belmont, CA. I then started working as a “supply deacon” - I filled in for other deacons who were sick or on vacation, so they wouldn’t have to feel guilty about taking time off. In December of 2012, I became the deacon for Christ Episcopal Church in Sausalito, CA, where I’ve been ever since. In the secular (sic) world, I work as a computer programmer, specializing in databases and data

management. I started off as a civilian intern for the US Army, then worked for a library software firm in Illinois. I moved to Silicon Valley in 1994, where I worked for Hewlett-Packard and its first spin-off, Agilent Technologies. In 2010, I started working half-time as a programmer for the Church Pension Group. I’m looking forward to working with all of you, and I hope to meet some of you at the Archdeacon and

Deacon Directors’ Conference in late February. I’ve been working with Jo for a couple of months, but I know it will probably take me some time to get up to speed. Please be gentle. :) Peace, Catherine

Welcome,Catherine Costas!

“Meticulous, professional, knowledgeable, helpful and above all, a consummate diaconal presence.” Geri Swanson

“It has been such a pleasure to work with Jo! Helping her answer questions about North Carolina diocesan geography, getting great answers from her about deacons among the missing – I will miss Jo very much! Bill Joyner, Jr.

“Where would I be without Jo! Her grasp of - and willingness to tackle - the intricacies of online ecommerce and databases is a blessing.” Anne Pillot, Comm. Dir.

“Jo has an amazing memory and attention to detail. I suspect that she even inputs records into the data base in her sleep!” Lou Thibodaux

“Thank you, Jo, for your faithful service. I truly appreciate your patience and dedication in keeping us organized!” Lauren Welch

“Jo always greeted you with a smile! If she needed to remind you about getting something to her, it always was with love and caring.” Gen Grewell

“Jo understands and manages more info about deacons than anyone in the church. And she has more skills than Sherlock Holmes in ferreting out deacon data from diocesan administrative nooks and crannies!” Lori Mills-Curran, Exec. Dir.

10 February 2016

Continued on page 14

This article was first published in The Anglican, the newspaper of the Diocese of Toronto, Canada.

Will the real clergy please stand up?When we think about clergy, the image that first comes

to mind is a priest, particularly the full-time, professional priest in charge of a parish. This is understandable because it is the kind of cleric one meets most often. But this is an incomplete picture and it is changing. The Diocese of Toronto is also served by part-time, bi-vocational and non-stipendiary clergy. An important part of that group is the cadre of vocational deacons. Deacons are an ancient order of the church that can trace its origins

all the way back to the New Testament. In Jerusalem, when the church was in its infancy, the apostles encountered a problem when food was distributed among widows. Greek Jews complained that their widows were neglected while Hebrew widows got preferential treatment – apparently, church conflict has a long pedigree! The apostles wisely decided to raise up people with gifts distinct from their own. In prayer, they called seven men to serve the poor (Acts 6:1-7).When persecution dispersed the church from Jerusalem to Judea,

Samaria and beyond, we read about Deacon Philip bringing the Gospel with him. The story of this church planter culminated in the dramatic encounter between him and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8: 5-12, 26-40). The call to connect the church with society – the dual charism of service and evangelism – has been the hallmark of the diaconate ever since. The revival of this order is one of the more exciting developments in our diocese.I met with the deacons of York-Scarborough in late September,

as I do every year. After worship and before business, each shared stories of their diaconal ministry. I was so moved by their stories that I abandoned what I was going to write about and now, with their permission, share them with you. They are described in broad strokes to respect the sensitive nature of some of their situations.

Moving StoriesAll deacons share in the liturgy. The dual nature of their vocation

is represented liturgically by their reading the Gospel, setting the table and dismissing the congregation. But each deacon is required to engage in at least one other ministry. Some follow a long tradition of leading or organizing pastoral care for the poor and infirm in a parish. Thus, we have a deacon leading the parish food bank, one leading pastoral visitation and one leading a visitation team to a nursing home. Another deacon called together a team to bring snacks to a local school. Not only do deacons connect the church to the neighbourhood through their actions, but also, by calling parishioners to join them, they call the people of God to pay attention to what is outside the church walls. Beyond providing service themselves, their ministry changes parish culture.

Moved by Deacons’ Stories By BishOP PATriCk yu

mOVeD By DeACOns’ sTOries News fromThe AssOCiATiOn OF AngliCAn DeACOns in CAnADA

Some deacons are quite creative and intentional in creating space for spiritual inquiries as they offer necessary services. One deacon simply volunteers in the community booth in a shopping mall; subsequent to his long-time participation, he is recognized by the people, and his church connection is respected. Another deacon learned about Advance Care Directives from a Christian perspective and began to offer it to the neighbourhood. We live in a death-denying culture, and many people have no clue about how their elderly parents want to be looked after until it is too late. The deacon included funeral planning for good measure. Another deacon has an office in a friendly funeral home and provides real, albeit unobtrusive, support for bereaved families. She related that young mothers who have lost babies and children are particularly in need of such ministry.

Yet others have responsible jobs in which they bear witness to their faith and vocation. One is a practicing psychotherapist; another is a trainer of staff in a big company. Staff from her work came to her ordination, and they were people of many

faiths. They had been seeking her counsel before her ordination – an important way to discern vocation is to see whether you are already exercising it – but after the ordination, she got phone calls about life issues even after working hours. All deacons are required to take courses in theology. Though the

requirements are less rigorous than those for a Master of Divinity, some have completed that degree and even gone beyond to the level of doctorate. Naturally, they are resourceful in parish Bible studies. Of special interest to me was the story of a Muslim woman in a Bible study who really loved Jesus (Isa in Islam), but was wrestling with the question of whether he was more than the prophet that Islam acknowledges him to be. The deacon in this case showed great sensitivity in navigating that situation. There are currently 40 deacons in the diocese, yet their ministry is

not fully recognized or appreciated, especially in parishes that do not have vocational deacons. The rise of vocational deacons is relatively recent in this diocese. Vocational deacons have been ordained since the 1990’s, after General Synod recommended it after addressing some concerns. The worry was that having deacons lead in outreach and evangelism would further clericalization and discourage lay ministry. This danger is only real when the vocation is misunderstood. Deacons do not perform outreach and evangelism on behalf of the people; they mobilize the people and turn their attention out to the world and its needs. An effective deacon not only does great work in the community; they will, by telling their stories and motivating people, inspire them to do similar, though not necessarily identical, things. Just like the deacons in York-Scarborough bear witness in their work and their neighbourhoods, parishioners can each bear witness in their own situations and in their own way.And here is the problem: I gather that in my area at least, priests are

very happy to share the liturgy with the deacon when there is one in

Beyond providing service themselves, their ministry changes parish culture.

www.episcopaldeacons.org 11

In Response To The StepsBy The Venerable Jan Grinnell

In Response to the Steps is the reflection of one person’s journey of discovery through personal pain that led to a fascinating and amazing spiritual transformation. This transformation came through her discovery of who she was created to be and through her commitment to follow age-old spiritual truths. The Twelve Steps are simple to understand, but require commitment, discipline, and perseverance if

one chooses to live by them as a way of life. There is a mystery in the simplicity of the steps, and that mystery is that if you choose to live by their principles—use this path as a way of life—the virtues in the steps will develop in your life through your own experience. Amazon.com

Available as an eBook at Amazon for $9.99.

The Rev. Jan Grinnell is Archdeacon in the Diocese of Rhode Island.

Wellness COnFerenCe

Wellness in Habit and Ministry Province IV & Church Pension Group create a deacon-specific conferenceBy DeACOn lOuise ThiBODAux

Twenty-four deacons from five dioceses (Alabama, Atlanta, Louisiana, Kentucky and Central Gulf Coast) gathered at Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Alabama from October 23-25 for

Wellness Conference on Finance and Health. The topic of “Wellness” had been chosen by several archdeacons from Province IV when they met in San Antonio in March, 2015. Following that meeting, a planning committee contacted the Church Pension Group and together they designed this unique conference for deacons.The weekend included opportunities for learning, community-

building and enjoying the beautiful fall weather. Faculty members from the Church Pension Group led the attendees through a series of exercises to build a personal vision of “wellness” that would guide their habits and ministry. Participants were asked to let go of the idea that “there is not enough.” Instead, they were encouraged to live from a place of abundance. Each participant wrote a personal mission statement and explored concrete steps for carrying it out. Best of all, deacons from different dioceses across the Southeast spent time with each other, sharing the joys and challenges of sustaining ministry and finding support from hearing each other’s stories.Special thanks to Janet Todd, Frances Murchison, Peter K. and Joan Fisler, the exceptional

faculty sent to us by Church Pension Group. Special mention also to John Stewart, diaconal candidate from Alabama, who processed the registrations; to Ed Richards (Central Gulf Coast) who served as the communications liaison; and to The Ven. Marti Holmes (Alabama) who directed local arrangements for the Conference. If your province or diocese would like more information, please contact Lou Thibodaux at

yellowboots@charter.net.

Lou Thibodaux serves as deacon in the Diocese of Alabama.

Liz Grant Hilton, Nadine Pope, Janet Tidwell, Arthur Villarreal and Lesley-Ann Drake attended from the Diocese of Atlanta.

We all had a wonderful time and learned a lot that we could put right into practice.

COMING EVENT

DOVE: Diakonia Overcoming Violence ExperienceSeptember 19-23, 2016

Crieff Hills Conference Center, Punslinch (near Toronto), Ontario, Canada

This gathering builds an international team that will participate

in a multicultural, hands-on, action-reflection experience related to

overcoming violence in the world. For details or to apply, contact Pam

Nesbit at pamelamnesbit@gmail.com.

Deacon Arthur Villarreal and Archdeacon Janet Tidwell on the high bridge.

12 February 2016

3oth Anniversary, from page 8

AED Board Report By DeACOn gen greWell, seCreTAry

The AED Board held their quarterly conference call on November 18, 2015

and also finalized the 2016 budget with our call on December 16. The Rev. Kate Harrigan led our opening prayer. Our September minutes were approved as amended.Michael Kitt, our treasurer, provided a

Treasurer’s Report in two parts: September 30, 2015 Actuals and the Budget Proposal for 2016. The board then reviewed the proposed budget for 2016. The proposed budget follows the same format which has been used in the past. A third draft went out to the Finance Committee for review and the board approved the 2016 Budget in December. Michael did a wonderful job in walking everyone through the process for the 2016 Proposed Budget.Highlights from our Board Reports included:

neWs FrOm AeD’s BOArD

From the Executive Director - Plans are coming together for the Archdeacon and Deacon Directors’ Conference. Rod Dugliss, Dean at CDSP School for Deacons, will be the presenter. The subject will be “How to have a meaningful field placement.” We welcomed our new membership director – Catherine Costas, who served concurrently with current director Jo Weber, through January. We also welcomed new board member, Johnna Dominquez and Pam Nesbitt as a liaison for the Fund for the Diaconate Partnership. The planning for the Triennial Assembly is

coming along well. All speakers/presenters are now confirmed. Lauren Welch, Maureen Hagen and Pam Nesbitt attended the DOTAC meeting this past fall. (See cover story.) World Diakonia will be held in

Chicago, June 28-July 5, 2017 at Loyola University. The next DOTAC will be in Vancouver BC in 2019.Business was completed for both meetings

and The Rev. Kate Harrigan offered a closing prayer.

residents who need skilled care. One of our parishioners has taken on this particular ministry as her own and visits residents on a regular basis, focusing on those without family in the area.Current attendance at the two senior

living communities averages over thirty per week. Attendance at services at Island Rehab vary but have been as high as thirty at holiday times. In all, this senior ministry at Saint Barnabas is reaching out to over sixty individuals every week who might otherwise have

no one attending to their spiritual needs and concerns. In so doing, we have extended our threshold far beyond the boundaries of our parish and have enriched our lives as well as the lives of the residents.

Continued GrowthIn 2013, Madrona House opened and this volunteer ministry to

seniors was extended to include this new facility, devoted to serving the needs of the memory-impaired. We have also recruited volunteers from other churches to this service and we are joined, from time to time, by other clergy as they make their visits. In 2014, Messenger House, which has a large memory unit, requested a twice-monthly service for its residents and staff. Every other Monday, a service is held there. During the week of October 12-18, 2015, this ministry to the

aged served 128 individuals at six different locations with ten helpers aiding Deacon Dan. I have teased Deacon Dan that soon his “church” will have to pay an assessment to the diocese given that it has a larger average Sunday attendance than some parishes.Few of these individuals will become official members of Saint

Barnabas but that is immaterial to the purpose of this ministry. By encouraging community, by fostering and demonstrating what it means to be an inclusive community of faith, we have, in our small way, enhanced the quality of life for these individuals. They may well be at the later stages of life, but honoring their contributions and attending to their spiritual needs helps to maintain resilience for them, sustains a rich spiritual life that is critically important to them, and holds them as valued members of our common human family. That doing this ministry provides deep satisfaction for those involved is an extra benefit and blessing for those who are privileged to be with these wonderful people. This wonderful ministry may, in the end, be the enduring, and most important ministry, of Deacon Dan’s long and illustrious diaconal life. “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Dennis Tierney is the Rector of Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church, Bainbridge Island, WA.

Addition from the Executive Director: Two items of note occurred with this year’s AED budget. First, we gathered a small committee which carefully assessed our budget and worked hard to achieve a nearly balanced budget, planning to spend only $3837.00 from our reserves (a significant reduction from the necessary overages of the past). Thank you, Michael Kitt, Margaret Thor and Nyle Hedin, for your hard work. Second, we had such significant success in fundraising for our General Convention presence that there remains a nest egg to foster increased AED participation in 2018.

www.episcopaldeacons.org 13

DiOCese OF sT. iVes

We’ve heard this story before: “There arose a new pharaoh in the land, who

knew not Joseph.” (Exodus 1:8) In the last chapter, The Lutherpalian

Conundrum, a new pastor came to serve at Potwallup in the Diocese of St. Ives. He held holy orders from another denomination, and knew nothing about working with Episcopalian deacons. So, the resident deacon not only had to adjust to new clerical leadership at St. Philip’s, she needed to educate her new colleague about what a deacon is.Official Lutheran-Episcopal full communion

dates back to 1999, when TEC and ELCA both approved a Concordat of Agreement at their respective church-wide assemblies. Discussions about mutual ministry go back even further, as Sr. Teresa (of the Distinctive Diaconate in England) pointed out to me. And though the German church in the Nineteenth Century had much to do with the resurrection of the diaconate (when they re-discovered a role for deaconesses), that call to servant ministry changed as it was taken up in the Anglican Communion, and

Response to Chapter XXVI, November 2015

The Lutherpalian ConundrumBy DeACOn keiTh mCCOy

Chapter XXVII

The Voice of the TurtledoveBy DeACOn keiTh mCCOy

especially in the American branch these past few decades. So, the problems regarding orders of ministry in this ecumenical cooperation are known, they just haven’t been addressed much, officially.In Potwallup, the panic to find a replacement

priest and the quick proposal from the Canon to the Ordinary undoubtedly helped stampede a decision, without any consideration for the finer details. The deacon could have been too focused on her ministry and her secular life to care much about the “politics” of the church – until those political actions affected her ministry.Dn. Linda Hollis of Maryland had a detailed

critique of the matter, pointing out that successful joint ministries start from the bottom up, rather than get imposed from above. Some joint study would be useful, too. All that would take time to develop, it couldn’t be a shotgun marriage, as this was. However, having leapt into this decision to share a pastor, all parties should pause to regroup.A major problem was the lack of any

communication which included Deacon

Peggy. The Diocese did not include her, nor did the local parish representatives, when the question of a joint pastoral relationship was broached. They were focused on one issue, and all else fell by the wayside. The deacon didn’t pursue the matter, either. Furthermore, Pastor Sven didn’t start with a clue about deacons, or even try to acquire one. Now sensibilities are bruised, sides could be taken. This could threaten the possibility of a fruitful ministry between the Episcopalians and the Lutherans.Perhaps a short vacation for Deacon Peggy

would be useful: she’s been carrying a major load for a while, and she should get in touch with the conflicting emotions surrounding this turn of events. Following that, a facilitated conversation between her and Sven would be the best next step, to help get over the hurt feelings and misunderstandings that have arisen so quickly. Once the emotions have been addressed, then the parties can move on to coming to know each other’s strengths and capabilities. This doesn’t have to end as badly as it started.

The Very Reverend Jan Dalmore settled into the dean’s stall as the congregation settled into their seats to hear the sermon at Christ Episcopal Cathedral in New Canterbury that morning.

She fixed a slight smile on her face and looked towards the pulpit, but her mind wandered away.She thought about how lucky she was to have been called to such

a warm and welcoming congregation. The two plus years she had been there were exactly what she had felt she wanted to do when she entered the priesthood: lead people to a greater understanding of God, teach them about the love of the Christ, help them to understand the

Spirit, comfort them when distressed, and rejoice with them in their best moments. The Chapter was supportive, the bishop treated her as a colleague, and the people of the cathedral parish were faithful and generous in time, talent, and treasure.

Hold on there, Jesus. Whatcha trying to tell us here?

Ah, there it was. Cliché #1. The deacon was preaching today, and that was about the only thing that grated on the Dean’s reverie. Joe Birdcall, the deacon at the Cathedral, was well-known for miles

Continued on page 14

DIOCESE OF ST. IVESThe fictional Diocese of St. Ives is a recurring column in Diakoneo, dedicated to exploring solutions to “problem moments” in diaconal ministry. The situations are true, but the names have been changed to protect the innocent and guilty. Each issue features responses to the prior chapter, plus a new “case study” with an opportunity for comment.

14 February 2016

Diocese of St. Ives, from page 12

Moved by Deacon’s Stories, from page 10

around New Canterbury as “The Sports Guy”. His homely witticisms had stood him in good stead during his years of broadcasting, and many people had been drawn to the Cathedral to hear him in person. But, thought the dean, his sermons were atrocious. Trite, simplistic, repetitive – they were close to a parody of what a preacher should be.

“Holy Saint Mackerel – it’s a miracle!

He got that one in early. Hopefully he wouldn’t use it twice, as she was told he did while she was on vacation last summer. The first two times Joe had preached after she arrived, she thought he was quaint and folksy, but then she realized that, like too many preachers, he only had one sermon in him, and unfortunately he repeated large parts of it every time he was on the Rota.It wasn’t until Jeff Yamazaki, the pastoral associate, asked the Dean

one day after the staff meeting if she were going to have Joe continue preaching every six weeks, that she realized she was not alone. When Jan said she was thinking about stretching out the deacon’s assignments, the associate got down on his knees and begged her to keep him away the pulpit entirely. It was only then that she found out that a certain portion of the congregation found Joe’s preaching to be laughable. Chuck Lagavulin, the choirmaster, confided that he kept a “Homely Homily” list on the organ bench, and checked off the recurring phrases that the deacon trotted out on a regular basis.

Man oh man, the Son of Man is doing it again.

Yet, the deacon was popular with a large number of people, even outside of the Cathedral. They loved the familiarity, the sports analogies, the corny jokes. His face and name were well known to tens of thousands of people in the region. He was a reliable contact for the media whenever The Episcopal Church hit the news, and always managed to provide a coherent quote for his fellow reporters. Maybe two sentences was Joe’s limit, mused the Dean.Jan heard the congregation laugh, so she reflexively laughed along.

Which tired old phrase had he uttered now? Hopefully, not the “Holy Spook” line. That one verged on the irreverent, she felt, especially after repeated applications.Last month, the Dean had had two opposite reactions on the same

day to Deacon Birdcall’s preaching. One older couple had told her

how much they enjoyed Joe, and they suggested it might be nice to let him preach on Christmas Eve, when so many people would be present. Jan suppressed a shudder at that thought. Then a call on a young couple who had just visited brought a spirited and detailed critique from both women about the syntactical and theological deficiencies of what they had heard from the deacon. They had showed up since, but were noticeably absent today.

Jesus shoots and scores! He does it again!

Giving the deacon fewer opportunities to preach would get noticed sooner or later, and wouldn’t sit well with many people. Suggesting he take a preaching class would be taken as an insult, Jan was sure, and would cause even more of an uproar. Yet letting him go on as always, risked the possibility that the tittering in some corners would be heard by Joe’s supporters, if not Joe himself, and that would be hurtful. Plus, Jan was increasingly of the opinion that the Cathedral needed to meet a certain standard of quality in its liturgy and preaching, and Joe wasn’t able to meet those standards.

So, let me wrap it up for ya…

The Dean agreed with that. She needed to wrap up a decision on Deacon Birdcall and his preaching, before something was said or done by someone else, and she would have to cope with the fallout. But what should she do?She heard the congregation say “Amen”. As the deacon returned

to his seat, the Dean stood, turned on her lapel mic, and said, “We believe in one God….”

What would you do? Please send responses with your take on rectifying the matter to kmccoy1@optonline.net. Comments received within a month will be taken into consideration when writing the response.

Deacon Keith McCoy has twenty plus years as a deacon and manager of public agencies.

the parish, but it is not a general practice to share the pulpit. Granted, being a good preacher is not one of the requirements in the diaconal vocation, and it would actually not be helpful if the deacon preaches in exactly the same way as the priest. His or her special calling is to draw attention to the challenges and opportunities in the world around. So I hope priests will give deacons their share of pulpit time, and that deacons will use that time to focus on their special role. All right, what if your deacon cannot actually preach? How about

putting together regular interviews? I have found that format to be particularly real and engaging to listen to, not to mention much less difficult for the interviewee. Come to think of it, what about inviting a vocational deacon from another parish to tell his or her story,

especially if you do not have one in your own?The most helpful thing I have heard about ordination is that

ministry is the privilege and responsibility of the whole people of God. The whole church has a priestly, episcopal and diaconal function for which people so ordered are icons. Clergy pledge themselves to be under authority – under orders – not to exclude the people, but to lead and invite others appropriately into these aspects. The whole people of God witnessing to the whole Gospel for the whole world – now that is a vision worth living into!

The Rt. Reverend Patrick Yu is the Area Bishop of York-Scarborough, Diocese of Toronto in Canada.

www.episcopaldeacons.org 15

Florence E. Biller, Feb. 15, 2005, Central Florida, 80. 1982James Buckingham Brooks, Sept. 23, 2014, Idaho, 75. 1987Cara J (C.J.) Calvert, Nov. 15, 2015, Southern Ohio, 92. 1989Sherry L. Hartley, Oct. 22, 2015, Eastern Oregon, 59. 1993Phyllis Schanbacher Herlihy, Jan. 2, 2014, Southwest Florida, 86. 1991J. Lynne Hough, Dec. 22, 2015, Mississippi, 77. 1996.Brendan E.A. Liddell, Aug. 2, 2012, Quincy (Chicago), 85. 1995Beverly R. Neuhaus, Dec. 11, 2015, New York, 71. 1994Willis D. Ottery Dr., Oct. 2, 2015, New Hampshire, 88. 1997John Dorr Wilson, May 18, 2014, Chicago, 89. 1987Irma M. Wyman, Nov. 17, 2015, Minnesota, 87. 1990Alice Elizabeth Yeager, Sept. 28, 2012, North Dakota, 72. 2010

in memoriam Deacon deaths received by AED, are listed alphabetically by name, date of death, diocese, (age) and ordination year.

Every effort has been made to provide accurate information and we regret any errors. We appreciate being notified when a deacon has died. Please send notifications, including diocese, date of ordination, age and date of death to membership@episcopaldeacons.org.

minisTry OF PresenCe

Ministry of PresenceBy DeACOn BruCe niCkersOn

Henri Nouwen said “More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.”

Excerpt from a June 17, 2001 sermon “Holy Rescuers” by the Rev. Irma Wyman, of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, who died Nov. 17, 2015.

How will we know when we have enough deacons?When all the needs of the marginalized and vulnerable are met;When to gather the gifts of the church and take them to the world, and to gather needs of the world and bring them to the church, has become a habit;When as the Rev. Canon George Osgood says, “…Deacons, going back and forth, have worn down the boundary lines that we use to keep church and world separated…”;When deacons, leading the baptized in and out, have beaten a path between the altar and the gutter so that everyone will see the link between the Blood in our chalices and the blood in our streets;When all people respond to the challenge to live, not in the love of power but in the power of love.

Sounds easy. It’s not. Around Central Square, in the Albany Street shelter, in the prison at Concord, our neighbors share their stories. And their pain:She has lived, and slept, on the streets with

her boyfriend for over 15 years. He was recently arrested at 2am for relieving himself in a dark alley - where else could he go? An MIT graduate sits across the table at the

shelter, tears streaming down his cheeks: “I can’t stop drinking.” An inmate in his ʼ50s is due in court on Good

Friday. Estranged from his family. Especially misses his mother. Sobbing, he tells the Thursday group that when he tried to tell his mother about the

court date, she refused to talk to him and hung up the phone.Our neighbors’ pain hurts them. And me.I listen.I go home.I cry.I pray.Ministry of presence. Simple. Difficult.

Deacon Bruce Nickerson serves in the Diocese of Massachusetts. For a link to the Henri Nouwen quote in this article, visit www.episcopaldeacons.org/diakoneo-magazine.

NON-PROFIT .US POSTAGE

PAIDWILLOUGHBY, OHPERMIT NO. 111

Association for Episcopal Deacons P.O. Box 1516Westborough, MA 01581-6516

neWly OrDAineD

Recent OrdinationsWe celebrate the following diaconal ordinations that have been reported to AED. Ordination notices (date, diocese and deacon) are published as we receive them, and may not be in chronological order. Please send ordination notices to membership@episcopaldeacons.org.

Jun. 4, 2011 Diocese of Albany Susan Ann PlaskeJun. 24, 2012 Diocese of New Westminster, Canada Christine WilsonDec. 20, 2014 Diocese of Chicago Linda LutterFeb. 7, 2015 Diocese of East Tennessee John RouserApr. 15, 2015 Diocese of Bethlehem Charles BareboJune 11, 2015 Diocese of Niagara, Canada Heino Classens, Nancy

McBrideAug. 8, 2015 Diocese of Eau Claire Marlene HogueSept. 10, 2015 Diocese of Maryland Frank BaileySept. 12, 2015 Diocese of Central Florida Julie Kay Altenbach, Patrice Faith Behnstedt, Nancy G. Bryson, Margaret

Callender Davis, Robert Raymond Dinnerville, Douglas Brian Jump,Nancy Diesel Oliver, Raymond William Perica, Carolyn Tingle Quinnell, Robert Douglass Quinnell, Chester J. Trow

Sept. 19, 2015 Diocese of Pittsburgh Lorena RingleOct. 23, 2015 Diocese of Indianapolis James StantonNov. 1, 2015 Diocese of Los Angeles Fernando Joaquin ValdesNov. 7, 2015 Diocese of San Diego Pamela RiegerNov. 11, 2015 Diocese of Southwestern VA Susan Peyton

Nov. 20, 2015 Diocese of Missouri Beth SimpsonDec. 12, 2015 Diocese of Newark John Van DineDec. 20, 2015 Diocese of Los Angeles Kevin Gunn

Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton, Frank Bailey. Maryland.

Lorena Ringle. Pittsburgh.

Front: Julie Altenbach, Nancy Bryson. Middle: Patti Behnstedt, Nancy Oliver, Chester Trow, Doug Jump. Back: Ray Perica, Bob Quinnell, Peg Davis, Carolyn Quinnell, Bob Dinnerville. Top: Bishop Gregory O. Brewer. Central Florida.