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Deacon

Racism
The Rev. Neelley Hicks. Photo courtesy of the author.

Confronting hate: What do you wear?
An encounter with neo-Nazis shows how fear, the need for belonging and distorted views about Christianity form a dangerous mix.
Church Leadership
Dr. Katelin Hansen. Photo by Maxine Moore, courtesy of the author.

Deaconesses are still here – let’s invest in them too!
A distinctly separate order from deacons, deaconesses and home missioners serve in a wide variety of full-time lay ministries for the church.
Church Leadership
The Rev. Dr. Javier A. Viera. Photo courtesy of Garrett Seminary.

To revitalize the church, we must invest in deacons
The United Methodist Church cannot continue to treat deacons as a second class within the ordination hierarchy.
General Conference
The Rev. Karen Jones of the South Carolina Conference reacts to the passage of legislation during the United Methodist General Conference, meeting in Charlotte, N.C., that will allow deacons to preside over Holy Communion in the context of their local appointments. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Deacons can now preside at sacraments 'when contextually appropriate'
In what presiding Bishop David Graves called a “historic moment,” General Conference on May 2 passed new legislation granting authority to deacons to preside at the sacraments in their ministry settings.

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