DIACONATE DIACONATEis an unofficial Church of England centre which serves to promote the diaconate as a distinct, full and equal order of the church's historic ministry. It concerns itself not only with the questions of a permanent diaconate but also with a better use of the transitional diaconate. It is doing this by collecting and sharing information about current developments in the world-wide and ecumenical diaconal movement through its own newsletter: Distinctive Diaconate News. Visits and the reception of visitors provide for more informal exchange of insights. Occasionally studies have been produced.
Distinctive Diaconate began in January 1981 with an ecumenical consultation held at the Royal Foundation of St. Katharine, London. Many people who participated in that consultation are now involved in diaconate development in their various dioceses. That consultation led to the production of a series of papers on various aspects of the diaconate entitled Distinctive Diaconate Studies.
An international ecumenical Bibliography (DD Study 22) was compiled and is supplemented each year. A 100 page study on the history of women in the diaconate in the New Testament and in the patristic and medieval church was written and is being revised for more extensive publication.
The editor has spoken in Australia and has lectured on the diaconate at the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church, New York. From 1987 to 2003 the editor also edited DIAKONIA News for Foundation DIAKONIA, the International Federation of Diaconal Associations (which links Protestant and Anglican diaconal associations and deaconess sisterhoods). DIAKONIA sent her as a consultant to the fifth world conference on Faith & Order. She wrote the articles on "Diaconate" and "Diakonia" for the WCC Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement. Currently she is chaplain to the staff of the Anglican Communion Office and a member of the Primates= Task Group on Theological Education for the Anglican Communion and convener of its Target Group for Vocational Deacons and Licensed Lay Ministers.
Distinctive Diaconate News (2 issues a year) shares information about developments in the diaconate in the Church of England, the Anglican Communion, and other churches with whom we are in dialogue. Because so much women's news was being received, Distinctive News of Women in Ministry was begun in January 1994 along the same lines. Both newsletters include current bibliography, news of conferences, and a calendar of saints.
The basic subscription rate for two issues of a newsletter is £ 2.00 for mailing to the U.K. To obtain the rates for other parts of the world and to subscribe to Distinctive Diaconate News or Distinctive News of Women in Ministry or DD Study 22, the bibliography email me