Deacons are ordained clergy on equal footing alongside Bishops and Priests. Deacons were one of the first orders of ministry recognised in the New Testament and in the history of the early Church, dating to the first century. It is an ancient role. In the Anglican Church of Canada all priests are first ordained as deacons before ordination to the priesthood (often called “transitional” deacons). However, God calls some people to the vocation of deacon for life (sometimes referred to as “permanent” or “vocational” deacons).
The ministry of Jesus Christ is one of servanthood. All baptised followers of Christ, according to their gifts, are called to participate in this ministry of servanthood, within the Church and in the world. Deacons, then, are icons of servant ministry: while servant ministry is the calling of the whole people of God, some members of the Church are called to the specific order of the diaconate as models of this ministry.
The word “deacon” is derived from the ancient Greek word diakonos, meaning “servant,” “messenger,” “agent,” “attendant,” or “emissary.” The vocation of the deacon is to enable and encourage the ministry of other members of the Church; to make known the love of Christ; and to serve all peoples in the name of Christ, with a focus on the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed, and the lonely. Deacons may lead worship but may not consecrate bread and wine at the Eucharist. In their ministry within the parish, the deacon reports to the parish priest but is directly accountable to the bishop.
The recovery of the ministry of the “vocational” deacon in the Diocese of Montreal is part of a development that has taken place across the world in the major denominations. A Symposium on the Diaconate at the Montreal Diocesan Theological College in 1994 encouraged and informed the process of recovery in the ecclesiastical Province of Canada and in the Diocese of Montreal. In 1998, Allan Marjerison was the first to be ordained as a “vocational” deacon in the diocese of Montreal.
The College of Deacons meets monthly for worship, mutual support and accountability, and for ongoing education.
Questions about the diaconate can be addressed to the Convener of the College of Deacons
The Reverend Jean Willcocks: jwillcocks@montreal.anglican.ca
