Episode 13: Connecting Church to the World - The Role of Deacons

In the United Methodist Church, deacons are ordained by a bishop to serve a lifetime of ministry. Their role is to lead the church in relating Christians to their ministries in the world their worship, preaching, teaching, nurturing spiritual vitality and leading ministries of service, love, and justice. Sometimes, deacons work primarily in congregations. Other times, they work primarily in settings like hospitals, social-service agencies, schools and counseling centers. At our most recent General Conference, legislation was passed granting authority to deacons to preside at the sacraments—both baptism and communion—in their ministry setting. Today, we’re in conversation with three clergy members in our conference to learn more about the role of deacons, explore how the church is connecting to the world today, and talk about the impact of this recent General Conference legislation.