DEACON FORMATION PROGRAM
Deacons-Servants of Christ
The early Church raised up the Diaconate out of its love for the needy. In the New Testament (Acts 6) we read of persons who were set apart as Deacons, "servants" or "envoys" chosen by the Christian community to care for widows and orphans, the poor and the needy, and to wait on tables."As a Deacon in the Church, you are to study the Holy Scriptures to seek nourishment from them, and to model your life upon them.
What do Deacons do?
Deacons function both in the world and in the Church. maintaining job responsibilities in the world offers a Deacon income and insight into the needs of the world. Currently Maine's Deacons are serving in hospitals, social service agencies, businesses, prisons, and schools.
You are to interpret to the Church the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world.
You are to assist the bishop and priests in public worship and in the ministration of God's Word and Sacraments, and you are to carry out other duties assigned to you from time to time.
At all times, your life and teaching are to show Christ that in serving the helpless they are serving Christ himself."
The Ordination of a Deacon
Book of Common Prayer p. 543
Contact DFP Coordinator, the Rev. Dr. Margaret A. (Peg) Thomas, for more information
How is a Deacon chosen?
A person interested in the Deaconate will be a faithful, worshiping member of an Episcopal congregation in Maine.
Through a process of discernment, a congregation can help identify those people best suited for the Deaconate. They will be persons exhibiting spiritual maturity, compassion, and flexibility. A person feeling called to be ordained a Deacon will demonstrate a servant's heart and spirit, andwork well in a supervised context. Final selection will be made by the Bishop after the applicant is screened by the Committee on Holy Orders and interviewed by an appointed committee. The Standing Committee must give its Canonical approval for a prospective Deacon to be named a Candidate and to be ordained.
Fellow Christians in local congregations, and mentors from a corps of laity and clergy who offer special gifts for Deacon formation, will help nurture the potential Deacon.
What is involved in Deacon Formation?
A Deacon's formation involves a two year program including academic and experiential components, in addition to spiritual formation. Study areas include Scripture, Church History Theology, Liturgics, Ethics, Issues of Contemporary Society, and Practice of Ministry. To fulfill Biblical Literacy requirements, applicants would ideally participate in an Education for Ministry (EFM) Program or its equivalent. Training in preaching is also a part of Deacon Formation.
Completion of a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE program is expected. However, when a traditional CPE program is not possible, the Bishop may approve an alternative program. There will be considerable flexibility in meeting all the requirements, acknowledging the variety of backgrounds each person brings. deacons in training are required to attend an all-day meeting approximately once a month and two residential weekend retreats a year. They are also expected to meet regularly with a qualified spiritual director or companion.
Special functions of the Deacon in liturgy
At the altar, which is the heart of the worshiping congregation, Deacons liturgically dramatize the servant ministry of the whole Church. In the eucharist, the Deacon assists the Priest, proclaims the Gospel, organizes the prayers of the people, attends the table before arid after the communion of the people, and dismisses the congregation.
Under the direction of the Bishop, deacons often exercise leadership in other liturgical services. In many cases, Deacons serve to train and coordinate the liturgical ministries of lay people. Circumstances differ as to Deacon's opportunity to preach, but ll Deacons will be trained in preaching.
The Archdeacons
Archdeacons are Deacons appointed by the Bishop to assist in the formation, pastoral care, and oversight of the community of Deacons.
What is the ministry of a Deacon today?
In our baptism, Christ calls each of us to ministry. The special ministry of a Deacon is to represent Christ and his Church, Particularly as a servant of those in need, nurturing and supporting the ministry of all Christians. The Deacon is a bridge between the Church and the world, demonstrating the Gospel to the world and interpreting the hopes, needs and concerns of the world to the Church.
Deacons support themselves, utilizing secular work as an opportunity for ministry. Each deacon has particular gifts and competency to contribute. Deacons help the laity to identify and make best use of their gifts They are different from Lay Ministers, whose work is also in the world, in that Deacons are under
Deacon Links
Committee on Holy Orders
Diocesan Ministry Fair
North American Association for the Diaconate (NAAD)
Education for Ministry
Contact DFP Coordinator, the Rev. Dr. Margaret A. (Peg) Thomas
Components of the DFP
ASSESSMENT is a way to identify what experiences and education a postulant brings to DFP
- individual meetings between the newly named postulant and the DFP Coordinator
- written assessment materials completed by newly named deacon postulant (these materials are an extensive review of the postulant's spiritual life, education and experiences, community participation as well as a Canonical Review of 10 short answer questions on each of the 7 canonical areas)
- how the data and information gathered ('here') compare to the education and experiences a deacon postulant is to have before the end of that person's involvement in DFP ('there').
INDIVIDUAL FORMATION PROGRAM (IFP) is a way to organize how the postulant gets from 'here' to 'there.'
- written learning and formation objectives for that particular postulant
- direction for study and experiences for a postulant between monthly Saturday DFP meetings
- evaluation
MONTHLY SATURDAY MEETINGS are once-a-month all-day meetings of all deacon postulants and candidates. The meetings are at Bangor Theological Seminary from September through June.
- a content piece each month on subjects such as: church history, liturgy, ethics, racism, scripture
- guest teachers, reading assignments and written assignments
- 2 overnight retreats each year
- monthly meeting in November is at diocesan convention
CPE OR ALTERNATIVE CPE
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is "a method of learning pastoral practice in a clinical setting under supervision" (The Standards of The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education 1999). The purposes of CPE are to foster growth in personal and pastoral identity and to facilitate the development of pastoral skills.
Alternative Clinical Pastoral Education (Alt CPE) is intended for those deacon postulants in the Diocese of Maine who are unable to participate in a traditional CPE program. Alt CPE is based on the purpose and the essential components of traditional CPE. Alt CPE may be implemented in any location with the necessary human and organizational resources.
FIELD WORK: COMMUNITY-BASED AND CONGREGATION-BASED
- Community-Based Experience (deacon in the world)
- experiences and education to support development of ministries in the world
- Congregation-Based Experience (deacon in the church)
- experiences and education to further development of diaconal ministries in the church
- placement for some deacon postulants will be with their sponsoring congregationfor others, placement will be with another congregation (i.e., if postulant has been member of sponsoring congregation for a long time)
