Deep roots, new shoots: Diakonia and the ministry of the baptized
.png)
Rev. Dr. Eileen Scully joins diaconal students from across Canada to share the work of General Synod in restoring the Diaconate for the Canadian Church.
GROWING BEYOND THE DOORS
By Rev. Canon Grayhame Bowcott
AS PART of my academic studies at Huron University, I had the express privilege of designing a new Licentiate in Theology course, (at the request of bishops across Canada), to unpack the history, theology, practice and vocation of diaconal ministry.
In this task, I saw myself as a curator of voices and stories, gathering together perspectives from the Early Church, the relatively silent Medieval Church (when diaconal ministry almost disappeared), and the inspired witness of contemporary deacons, many of whom are actively serving in the Anglican Church of Canada. These stories and perspectives were then shared with a group of twenty-six diaconal students, including diaconal aspirants, postulants, ordinands, and a handful of deacons who were excited to be part of the first course of its kind in our program.
The theological concept of diakonia is often misunderstood in today’s church to narrowly mean the work that ordained deacons do. From their origins in the Early church, deacons have always been doers of the Word of God, often serving in places of ministry where others were hesitant to go: among the poor and sick, caring for orphans and widows, advocating for the voiceless or marginalized, and building bridges between the worshipping congregation and those beyond the walls of the Church.
However, one of the most important aspects of diakonia (leadership through service to others), is the fact that it is not reserved for deacons alone. In fact, diakonia belongs to the ministry of all the baptized in the Church.
A foundational document in the restoration of the diaconal ministry in the Anglican Church of Canada is the Iona Report, which explains how deacons, while acting as “Icons of Christ’s Service in the Church”, are not ever supposed to be the only doers of this beautiful ministry. Instead, they are called to inspire the fullness of the ministry of all baptized members to join them in ministries of service, healing and justice.
In my own congregation, I have begun to think of my two diaconal postulants as spiritual oaks - trees whose roots are embedded in the communities that they serve. One of them has her ear to the prayerful heartbeat of the needs of the parish (the sick, the shut-ins, the many who request confidential prayers in times of duress). My other postulant has become embedded in the outreach work of the neighbourhood (listening to the needs of those financially challenged, hearing the struggles of both young families and seniors).
Both of these soon-to-be deacons serve in ways that accomplish much work and ministry. However, what I am noticing, one year into the practice of their ministry, is that they are stirring up both awareness and excitement for diakonia -the serving work of all the baptized. The deep roots of their commitment to this service are causing green shoots of support, faithfulness and generosity to pop up, both within, and outside of the membership of our parish.
One of the wonderful gifts of our LTh course together, was to hear leaders such as The Rev. Dr. Eileen Scully, Director of Faith, Worship, and Ministry for the General Synod of the ACoC, speak about the ongoing work to revitalize diaconal ministry across Canada. Dr. Scully is passionate about how deacons are the missional catalysts for the Church of the future, because they call all the baptized to exercise their own ministry of service, vastly expanding the abilities of deacons or priests alone.
Tomorrow’s Church needs to recognize our deep need for diaconal ministry in every congregation and parish, not just to have ordained people to “do” ministry, but for the roots of their faithfulness and service to embed themselves into the communities God is calling us to serve, and awaken the call for congregations to become diaconal – to live for the purpose of serving the needs beyond their doors, as Christ calls us to live and serve.
Should you know of anyone within your congregation who is interested in learning or exploring more about diaconal theology, or the ministry of deacons, I encourage you to reach out to me, or to the Diocese of Huron, to unlock possibilities of further education or vocational discernment.
For everyone else, please pray for the vision of a deacon in every congregation in this Diocese. The Church is ever in need of strong roots producing green shoots of diakonia in all the places God is calling us to serve.
Rev. Canon Dr. Grayhame Bowcott is passionate about fostering congregational relationships and sharing our Anglican vocation with others. He serves as Rector of St. George’s, The Parish of The Blue Mountains, and as Program Director for the Licentiate in Theology program at Huron University.