Unexpected Consequences: The Diaconate Renewed

by Susanne Watson Epting

A critical look at the diaconate in the Episcopal ChurchTimes change, and the Order of Deacons in the Episcopal Church has not remained static. While the book seeks to update contemporary knowledge about deacons, it also shows how the diaconate may be well positioned to lead the church into change that cuts across governance, formation, and ministry. While the institutional church struggles with its structure and purpose, working to change its reality and perception, the book suggests that there are diaconal leaders who have been working all along for this kind of change. The book chronicles ways in which one church order has grown, matured, adapted, adjusted, and is as effective as it is because of its dynamic nature. It is hoped that other orders might learn from the importance of being adaptable, contextual, and baptismal, while highlighting the primary lens deacons look through as they seek to fulfill what the church has called them to do.

Genres: Nonfiction, Theology

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2015

Reviews

[Steve Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for Deacons and those who are thinking about becoming Deacons

I am about to start Deacon School. This book is part of our program. It gives concrete information in a way that is engaging. I have been recommending it to others.

[Jean Marie Angelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were deacons in the Episcopal Church, then there weren't, and then we experienced a renewal. For the last 30 years we have seen a growth in the number of deacons. So many of the important books about the diaconate were written by Rev. Deacon Omonde Plater, which is why it is refreshing to have this volume. It is one of the many important books written by a different deacon.

I have only a minor suggestion for the author. After pages and positions that demonstrate why the diaconate is necessary and vital, she ends the book with an appendix with a nay-saying first person account of a woman on the diaconal track who then left the church. We have to keep it real, but I think there should be a better take-away.

I need to highlight a few of the passages that moved me:

"It is no small thing that the renewal of the diaconate and the renewed understanding of baptism occurred at the same time. I believe it has had a deep effect on how the diaconate has come to be."

"A deacon is a baptized person called and empowered by God and the Christian community to be an icon illuminating Christ as a model of servanthood for all people.

"The role of the deacon in liturgy mirrors the role of a deacon in the church and world.
The personal gifts the church looks for in a deacon include spiritual maturity, compassion, and flexibility. Under the authority of the bishop and the church the deacon serves as an evangelist and catalyst with others."

"The deacon fulfills this calling through action and example as servant leader, witness, intercessor, facilitator, visionary, nurturer and interpreter among diverse people. The deacon is messenger and proclaimer of Christ's presence among us.

"In the meantime, however, a phrase was emerging in the church-wide community of deacons. It was being used both by individuals and was the topic of conversation in groups. That phrase was 'prophetic voice.'

Deacons had grown through the waves of transition and definition and were now examining, much more deeply, the interpretive role with which the church had charged them."

[Rob Skirving · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what I needed, when I needed it! As a "new bishop" in The Episcopal Church I was looking for a solid, comprehensive historical overview and contemporary analysis of diaconal ministry in our church. The author, a deacon herself, has delivered exactly this! Picking up on work done by others before her, she has done an excellent job of describing how the diaconate got to its present place and also offering some thoughts (hers and those of others) concerning as to where it might be headed. Over the years, I've watched many of the "waves" she describes rise and fade, or perhaps crash. It's great to see how they're all related, and how they've brought the church to the place where it now finds itself.

Tomorrow, I'll be ordaining four deacons. I'm deeply grateful to have had the chance to read Susanne Watson Epting's work.

There are lots of good bits I could have offered as my favorite. Here are a few sentences I've chosen from her postscript.

"No, the diaconate does not exist for the sake of having deacons, but for the sake of reaching out in the wholesome humility of Christ, making the church relevant, making the world whole. Nor does the presbyterate exist for the sake of immovable altars and fonts, but for the sake of breaking bread in daily life, and of keeping the community together as we move away from privilege. Nor does the episcopate exist for the sake of churchly order, but for the sake of a deeper unity that is unafraid to question its effectiveness, insisting that it be a unity that undergirds the mission and ministry of the whole people of God."

With those who are, and will be, deacons in this diocese, I'm looking forward to calling forth, equipping, and supporting the diaconal ministry of the whole people of God in East Carolina. Grateful for this resource!

[Janet Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book on the diaconate since Ormond Platter!

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great examination of the history and development of the role of Deacon in the Episcopal Church. What's the difference between a Deacon and a Priest? This book explains it. Since the issuing of the 1979 Prayer Book (and for Roman Catholics, Vatican II) the restored role of the Deacon in the life of the Church continues to develop challenging all the baptized to look for a greater role in faith-life.
The only short-coming to this book is it's inclusion of various reports from different meetings, but the more casual reader can skip these details and not lose the story.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book about the diaconate I have ever read, its history, how it has evolved, and the direction it may be leading to. A must for any in the least interested in becoming an ordained deacon.