DIAKONIA
Diakonia is the Greek word for “service.� Jesus was sent by God to serve. We promise in Baptism to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ, to seek and serve Christ in all persons, and to strive for justice and peace. All members of the church are called to represent Christ and his church. Deacons are called particularly to serve those in need, and to interpret to bishops, priests and laity the needs, concerns and hopes of the world. Deacons assist in the proclamation of the Gospel and the administration of the sacraments. In the early church, the diaconate preceded the priesthood and possibly even the episcopate. After flourishing for three centuries and contributing to the growth of the church, the diaconate declined when the church became organized following the Council of Nicaea during the time of Constantine. This ancient ministry has been revived since 1978, and it is now once again an essential part of the functioning of the church, thanks to the church’s renewed emphasis on mission and its return to an organic structure in which every church member has responsibility for ministry, mission and diakonia.
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The Rev. Rick Incorvati is ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Breidenthal in 2016.
