Methodist Diaconal Order

In the Methodist Church of Great Britain, deacons (a term used for both men and women) are members of an order called the Methodist Diaconal Order (MDO).[1] The MDO is both a religious order and an order of ministry.[a] One distinctive feature of the Methodist ecclesiology is that a deacon has a permanent ministry and remains as a deacon – it is not a transitional step toward becoming a presbyter.[b] The diaconate is regarded as equal yet distinct from the presbyterate, but, as a religious order, it places a particular emphasis on Christian service.[2][3]

As of 2024 the MDO reports to have "over 280" deacons,[1] who follow a common Rule of Life.

History

Wesleyan Deaconesses and the Wesleyan Deaconess Order were founded by the Rev. Thomas Bowman Stephenson in 1890.[4] Stephenson saw that women had a unique role in Christian service, as they could visit homes that were inaccessible to men. They worked in association with his Children's Homes.[4] The Deaconesses began to work overseas from 1894 following a request for a deaconess to serve in South Africa.[5]

After Methodist Union in 1932, the Wesleyan Deaconesses were joined by the United Methodist Deaconesses and Primitive Methodist Sisters to become the Wesley Deaconess Order (WDO) of the Methodist Church.[4]

In the 1960s, the Order decided that membership would be lifelong, ending the previous practice of leaving upon marriage.[4] The 1973 Methodist Conference decision to open presbyteral ministry to women had a profound impact on the Order, initiating debates about its future.[4] As a result, Conference agreed to cease recruitment for the WDO from 1978. However, there were still Methodists who believed themselves called to a diaconal ministry. Eventually in 1986 the Order was re-opened to both men and women.[6]

In the late 20th century, the diaconate was restored as a vocational order in many Western churches, with deacons gaining recognition as equals to presbyters.[7] Accordingly, the Methodist Conference of 1998 admitted all existing members of the renamed Methodist Diaconal Order into "full connexion"—becoming ordained to a full-time, life-long ministry.[8] Members of the MDO gather annually for a convocation, echoing the practices of its predecessor, the WDO.[6]

In 2018, it was reported that there were 127 deacons active, 9 student deacons, and 118 supernumerary (retired) deacons.[6]

Form of address

Formerly, deaconesses were addressed as Sister, but since the admission of men to the order, and once it became an order of ministry as well as a religious order, all members are now officially titled "Deacon".[4][9] The term "deaconess" is no longer used.

Dress and attire

There is no formal habit or uniform for a Methodist deacon. Some deacons may choose to wear what is regarded as 'traditional dress' for the MDO, namely a navy blue suit with a white shirt or blouse, particularly for formal occasions, while others may prefer to wear the polo shirts and sweatshirts commissioned by the MDO, particularly if the circumstances are less formal.[10] Deacons are permitted to wear clerical shirts; however, these must be navy blue or white and deacons must wear the diaconal order badge they were presented with at their Ordination.[10] The badge of the MDO is an important identifier for Methodist deacons.

See also

Footnotes

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ Methodist deacons are comparable to clerics regular in other denominations.
  2. ^ In British Methodism, ordination to the presbyterate, previously called "the ministry", has always been direct, without a transitional period as a deacon, unlike many other denominations.[2]

Citations

  1. ^ a b "About the Diaconal Order". www.methodist.org.uk. Methodist Church in Britain. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b What is a Deacon? (PDF) (Report). Methodist Conference. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  3. ^ Brown, Rosalind (2005). Being a Deacon Today: Exploring a Distinctive Ministry in the Church and in the World. Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing. p. 9. ISBN 978-0819222015. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "History of the MDO". Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  5. ^ Graham, Dorothy (2004). Relations between the Wesley Deaconess Order and the Missionary Society. Methodist Heritage. Accessed 26 December 2016.
  6. ^ a b c Vickers 2018, n.p.
  7. ^ Epting 2015.
  8. ^ Orton & Stockdale 2014, p. 6.
  9. ^ Vickers 2018.
  10. ^ a b Orton & Stockdale 2014, pp. 67–68.

References

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