The Office of Deaconess in Lutheran Mission – Australia

From the beginning, LM-A has expressed its desire to see the office of deaconess restored in Australian Lutheran churches. Deaconess Kathleen Mills and Dr Stephen Pietsch were tasked with drafting a theological rationale for the role of deaconesses in LM-A, which has since been edited and approved by the College of Pastors and received by the LM-A Committee of Management. The paper examines the Biblical basis and history of deaconesses, how the office of deaconess differs from the Office of the Ministry, the theology of mercy and the work of the deaconess and the reasons for having deaconesses serving in LM-A. The paper further explores the training and the servant heart required by deaconesses.

‍Biblical Basis and History[1]

‍In Acts 6:1-7, the apostolic church appointed seven men—Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus—to serve as deacons.[2] This was a response to complaints that the widows of Greek-speaking Jews were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. The apostles delegated this “serving tables” role to the seven men so that the apostles could focus on prayer and the ministry of the word. This is an expression of obedience to the command to love and serve the poor and needy which Christ gives to his church in Matt 19:21 and John 13:14. This diaconal service of mercy continued in the early and later eras of church.

The biblical basis for the office of deaconess is found primarily in the qualifications listed in 1 Tim 3:11, for women in roles of service and mercy, alongside the example of Phoebe in Romans 16:1-2, who is described as a “deacon” (servant) and a valuable helper. These verses, along with passages like Titus 2:3-5 and 1 Timothy 5:9-10, show that women served in roles of service, care for the sick and poor, and instructing younger women, and were held to a high standard of character in these roles.

In Acts 6 the apostles together with the church made the decision to consecrate the men chosen for this special and needed work. This was not an office established by Christ himself, but by the church under the guidance of the Spirit. It is not essential to the church’s being and life, as the ordained Office of the Holy ministry is, but auxiliary, intended to complement and support the ordained office in embodying the love of Christ and his church for the needy, through works of mercy, compassion and service in Christ’s name. It is a vocational expression of the congregation’s service and love as the priesthood of the baptised, organised and recognised so that the church’s care and service can be ordered well and effectively.

Despite its auxiliary nature, the office of deaconess[3] has nevertheless been an honourable and valued calling, even though it may not be highly visible or prominent. It is and has been a great blessing in many places.

This auxiliary office has been active in several different traditions of Christianity through the centuries and shaped in various ways, not all of which are consistent with Scripture. In some places it has taken a more liturgical role, making it less distinguishable from the Office of the Public Ministry. It has at times disappeared or fallen into obscurity, usually during periods when the church has focussed on the Christian’s inward and personal relationship with God, losing its awareness of Christ’s call outward, to the needs of the suffering.[4]

The office of deaconess, as it is embodied in the Lutheran churches, re-emerged in Germany in the 19th century. Two pastors, Theodore Fliedner and Wilhelm Löhe re-planted this ancient tradition, seeing the need for the church to better fulfil its call to care for and minister to its own needy members and the community. Recognising the unique gifts and disposition of Christian women for works of mercy, material and spiritual support of the poor and sick, as described in the New Testament, Fliedner and Löhe worked to revive this auxiliary office for the church.

The office of deaconess among Confessional Lutherans exists in many places today, shaped in accordance with Scripture.[5] It recognises and uses the special created gifts given to Christian women for serving the needy with compassion, understanding and gentleness. It has been a great blessing for churches in mission, who are seeking to reach and care for people in local communities. It has been a great help in churches for instructing and catechising other women, ministering to children and supporting their spiritual growth. [6] In confessional Lutheran churches deaconesses serve today in a number of biblically faithful areas of service and mercy: home visitation to the ill and elderly, praying with and for them, teaching women and children, and music ministry and administration, to name just a few.

Distinct from the Office of the Ministry

The office of deaconess has its own distinct place and dignity in the life of the church. It is different to the work of pastors, who are formed for a unique place within the Church’s life and ministry. They are trained, ordained and called to take their place at the baptismal font, in the pulpit, and at the altar. In this office, pastors bear a unique responsibility before God for what is preached, administered, and confessed in their congregations. The deaconess vocation seeks to support pastors by facilitating and cultivating the bonds of fellowship and love that unite diverse members into the one body of Christ. While the pastoral office bears responsibility for the giving of Christ through preaching and the administration of the sacraments, the deaconess vocation is concerned with the church’s reception of Christ in a fellowship of mercy, forgiveness, servanthood and compassion. Thus deaconesses in the Lutheran understanding should not be confused with deacons/deaconesses in other denominations which see them as pastors-in-training.

The deaconess serves so that the gifts received in the public worship of the church are nurtured and bear fruit, so that “God’s chosen ones…forgive each other…and put on love which binds everything in perfect harmony” (Col. 3:12 14); she seeks to facilitate the fellowship of the Spirit, in which God’s children “bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).

Church historian, Emil Wacker in the 19th century expressed it this way:

The diaconate in all its branches has been fitly termed a service at the doors of the sanctuary. Within, the ministry of the word has its place. The diaconate, however, prepares the way for its ministrations, or accompanies it, guarding and assisting it; gathers in the souls who are to benefit by the service of the sanctuary, or watches over the souls who have experienced its benefits, that the benefit may not be lost to them. It is always at the threshold of the sanctuary, that this service awaits those who come and go. In truth it may be said of every diaconate, even though furnished with the most eminent spiritual gifts, that it is nothing but an auxiliary office, co – and subordinate to the one office of the ministry.[7]

It is, therefore, not appropriate that deaconesses take a public role in the liturgy of the church. They rather welcome people into God’s presence, supporting and encouraging their participation in worship and the life of faith. As women, it is not their calling to lead, teach or preach in the public assembly of the church, but to do their works of mercy and service in the many spheres of congregational life that flow from the ministry of Word and Sacrament.[8] This recognises and honours the proper distinction between the roles of men and women in the Church, and the God-given blessings of both the pastoral and diaconal vocations. The deaconess freely accepts this office of service and mercy which has its own importance in the church of Christ.

The Theology of Mercy and the Work of the Deaconess

Underlying the vocation of deaconess is the biblical theology of mercy. Throughout the history of God’s people, the proclamation of the Gospel has carried with it the merciful service and support of the most vulnerable. This mercy is nothing more or less than the fruit of the Gospel itself, which flows from Christ to and through his body, the church, to those in need. This service to the needy has been part of the Christian Church’s life and work from the beginning (e.g. Acts 5:15-16; Acts 11:29).

It flows directly from the ministry and teaching of Jesus, who declares that ministry to the hungry, naked, and imprisoned is ministry to Him (Matt. 25). Paul later writes, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Gal. 6:10) Löhe defined mercy as goodness and love made manifest in relation to human misfortune and misery.[9]

Individually, all Christians are able to offer this mercy to those around them through their vocations, but corporately, the church is able to embody this diakonia by training and setting apart workers to carry this physical, tangible mercy into lives in desperate need of it.

Though mercy ministry is the major emphasis and heart of deaconess work and is always a major focus, diaconal service may reach into other areas of congregational life, where the deaconess’s particular gifts and training may be helpful. As St Paul exhorts, "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them." (Rom 12:6) Women who have been gifted in administration, teaching, music, and hospitality will find those skills to be an appropriate outpouring of diakonia, and are able to be put to good use for the blessing of those they serve.

Why have deaconesses serving in LM-A?

‍LM-A hopes and plans to revive the office of deaconess in our Confessional Lutheran Church Body here in Australia for a number of reasons:

• Most fundamentally, deaconesses help congregations grow in the life of Christian service and mercy to one another and the community, a facet of Christian life in which all Lutheran congregations need to grow.

• Deaconesses have a proven track record in supporting effective mission in Lutheran churches, extending the reach of the congregation toward people in need in order to serve them in the name of Christ, and draw them to Christ.

• Deaconesses are able to release pastors in demanding ministry settings to concentrate more closely on their ministries of Word and Sacrament, by supporting them in areas such as organisation, administration, care visitation or catechesis of children.

• The Deaconess is often able to offer care to women in situations where a woman’s empathy, understanding and care is more appropriate and helpful, e.g. in situations where women have suffered violence or in situations of still birth or miscarriage.

• Deaconesses are able to teach and equip other Christian women in their vocations in society, marriage, the family, and the church, modelling godly attitudes and living.

• Deaconesses with specialist training and skills may provide LM-A opportunities for service to the church in areas such as the development of musical and liturgical life among congregations, spiritual care training for laity, family discipleship etc.

• Finally, formally recognising the auxiliary office as other Lutheran churches do will allow international exchanges of qualified deaconesses. LM-A may draw on the skills and experience of deaconesses from places such as the United States while taking advantage of opportunities for our own deaconesses or diaconal students to gain experience in areas of ministry not prevalent locally. Our deaconesses may even have the opportunity to bless other churches as missionaries.

‍Deaconess Training

‍The deaconess vocation cannot be reduced to certain routine tasks, but consists in the commissioning of women for participation in Christ’s own service to the needy ones, which embodies God’s mercy towards all people. Thus, the formation of students for the deaconess vocation must do more than merely prepare them to perform certain temporal functions. Deaconess formation and training seeks to cultivate a diaconal habitus or character, a servant-identity that is grounded in Christ and oriented toward bringing people into the life of the Holy Church.

It requires formation in three modes of development: biblical and theological knowledge, practical interpersonal skills, and spiritual maturity and virtues. These three vital ingredients are needed to equip candidates for the servant role to which they will be consecrated.

‍Candidates for diaconal ministry need to possess the character, resolve, habits and skills to minister to God’s people in the areas of spiritual care and the practical application of a theology of mercy. They need to understand their role of service as guiding people toward Christ in the Word and Sacrament ministry provided by the pastoral ministry.

Proper training for deaconesses formalises their qualifications, readiness for service and skills, validating them publicly. It provides recognition by the church, affirming their ability to be called to different places and situations of service.

A Servant Heart

Historically and biblically, humble and loving service to Jesus Christ and his needy ones is the core ethos and disposition of the deaconess’s office. She is not there to gain for herself recognition, or to represent a female prerogative to hold public office in the church. Her role and calling is service, as the poem The True Deaconess Spirit penned by Wilhelm Loehe, so aptly says:

What is my want?
 I want to serve.
Whom do I want to serve?
The Lord in His wretched ones and His poor.

And what is my reward?
I serve neither for reward nor thanks,
but out of gratitude and love;
My reward is that I am permitted to serve.

And if I perish in this service?
"If I perish, I perish" said Queen Esther.
I would perish for Him who gave Himself for me.
But He will not let me perish!

And if I grow old in this service?
Then shall my heart be renewed as a palm tree,
and the Lord shall satisfy me with grace and mercy.

I go my way in peace,
casting all my care upon Him.[10]

[1] This video is a little dated, but still gives helpful history, background and information on the role of deaconess. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DJcxqXumYE

[2] The name ‘deacon’ comes from the New Testament Greek word diakoneo, meaning ‘to serve’, and is the origin of the word diakonia – the word for service to the needy and poor in the historic tradition of the church.

[3] Historically, many churches have commissioned male deacons as well as female deaconesses. Whether or not LM-A considers commissioning male deacons is a question for future discussion and reflection.

[4] For example, during periods in which pietistic movements have held sway in the church’s life.

[5] This includes the deaconess role as it was for some years used in the Lutheran Church of Australia.

[6] For example, see a comprehensive list of deaconess ministry areas in the LCMS: https://files.lcms.org/file/preview/DC27BFD5-803C-4836-8A61-3B45ED2691D6?_gl=1*riergn*_ga*ODU5MDEzNjcxLjE3NTUyODIwMDk.*_ga_Z0184DBP2L*czE3NjM2OTMyMTQkbzQkZzEkdDE3NjM2OTQ2MTgkajQ1JGwwJGgw

[7] Emil Wacker, The Deaconess Calling: its Past and Present (Philadelphia: The Mary Drexel Home, 1893). Page11.

[8] This includes delivering children’s sermons, a practice which has become fashionable in some Lutheran churches, but which is out of step with the deaconess’s calling. See 1 Tim 2:8-15; 1 Cor 14:34-37.

[9] Wilhelm Loehe, On Mercy: Six Chapters for Everyone, the Seventh for the Servants of Mercy - Volume I (St Louis: The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, 2006). Page 3.

[10] This poem is a treasured and oft-quoted deaconess motto. Many deaconess motherhouses in Germany adopted Loehe's poem as their motto in the 19th and 20th centuries, and it later gained popularity in America and other countries after German deaconesses founded deaconess movements in them.

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