Cara Weiler, Deacon
What is a Deacon?!
Maybe you’ve heard the term before in the churches of your Catholic or even Baptist friends…but never in the United Methodist Church, right?! Perhaps shockingly to many United Methodists, the order of Deacon has been recognized in our denomination for 12 years now and is part of the diaconal movement that has been within the Christian tradition since its earliest days. Some Deacons found in scripture include: The evangelist Philip (Acts 8), The martyr Stephen (Acts 7), The missionary Phoebe (Romans 16), and The Roman martyr Lawrence (d 258). The diaconate is experiencing a renaissance in many denominations throughout the ecumenical Church. In the United Methodist Church we now have 1362 Ordained Deacons with over 1500 candidates pursuing ordination as a Deacon. In the West Michigan Conference we have about 25 Deacons currently serving.
But again, what IS a Deacon? Deacons are ordained to word and service. We work and serve as equals in partnership with Elders. While Elders work primarily within the congregation to preside and unify, Deacons work to bridge the gaps between the church and the world. Deacons assist in worship keeping an eye towards the inclusion and celebration of God’s work and presence beyond the local congregation. Deacons then also work beyond the local congregation to be the bridge, but also to help others become that bridge between church and the world. Deacons teach and lead congregants to understand that the love and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ is for all people. We work on the margins of society, in the gutters of our neighborhoods seeking to point out the thin places where God’s presence and love can be felt and must be shared. However, there is no one definition for a Deacon. You will find Deacons in our conference and denomination serving as chaplains, Christian educators, youth pastors, teachers, lawyers, spiritual formation directors, music directors, urban farmers, social workers, and more.
As a Deacon I have been called to the ministry to serve children and families. I have been called to help congregants focus on ministries of outreach and justice. To remind us in worship of those who are suffering, facing injustice and shunned from our communities. And then to call us to respond to God’s love by sharing it with the outcast and downtrodden in our community and world. Thank you for allowing me a church home in which I can live out my call and join with you to share God’s love and mercy with the world.