Methodist Diaconal Order

In the Methodist Church of Great Britain, deacons (a term used for both men and women) are members of an order called the Methodist Diaconal Order (MDO).[1] The MDO is both a religious order and an order of ministry.[lower-alpha 1] One distinctive feature of the Methodist ecclesiology is that a deacon has a permanent ministry and remains as a deacon – it is not a transitional step toward becoming a presbyter.[lower-alpha 2] The diaconate is regarded as equal yet distinct from the presbyterate, but, as a religious order, it places a particular emphasis on Christian service.[2][3]

As of 2024[update] the MDO reports to have "over 280" deacons,[1] who follow a common Rule of Life.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Form of address
* 3 Dress and attire
* 4 See also
* 5 Footnotes
* 5.1 Explanatory notes
* 5.2 Citations
* 6 References
* 7 External links

## History

President of the Methodist Conference Thomas Bowman Stephenson founded a deaconess order

Wesleyan Deaconesses and the Wesleyan Deaconess Order were founded by the Rev. Thomas Bowman Stephenson in 1890.[4] Stephenson saw that women had a unique role in Christian service, as they could visit homes that were inaccessible to men. They worked in association with his Children's Homes.[4] The Deaconesses began to work overseas from 1894 following a request for a deaconess to serve in South Africa.[5]

After Methodist Union in 1932, the Wesleyan Deaconesses were joined by the United Methodist Deaconesses and Primitive Methodist Sisters to become the Wesley Deaconess Order (WDO) of the Methodist Church.[4]

In the 1960s, the Order decided that membership would be lifelong, ending the previous practice of leaving upon marriage.[4] The 1973 Methodist Conference decision to open presbyteral ministry to women had a profound impact on the Order, initiating debates about its future.[4] As a result, Conference agreed to cease recruitment for the WDO from 1978. However, there were still Methodists who believed themselves called to a diaconal ministry. Eventually in 1986 the Order was re-opened to both men and women.[6]

In the late 20th century, the diaconate was restored as a vocational order in many Western churches, with deacons gaining recognition as equals to presbyters.[7] Accordingly, the Methodist Conference of 1998 admitted all existing members of the renamed Methodist Diaconal Order into "full connexion"—becoming ordained to a full-time, life-long ministry.[8] Members of the MDO gather annually for a convocation, echoing the practices of its predecessor, the WDO.[6]

In 2018, it was reported that there were 127 deacons active, 9 student deacons, and 118 supernumerary (retired) deacons.[6]

## Form of address

Formerly, deaconesses were addressed as Sister, but since the admission of men to the order, and once it became an order of ministry as well as a religious order, all members are now officially titled "Deacon".[4][9] The term "deaconess" is no longer used.

## Dress and attire

There is no formal habit or uniform for a Methodist deacon. Some deacons may choose to wear what is regarded as 'traditional dress' for the MDO, namely a navy blue suit with a white shirt or blouse, particularly for formal occasions, while others may prefer to wear the polo shirts and sweatshirts commissioned by the MDO, particularly if the circumstances are less formal.[10] Deacons are permitted to wear clerical shirts; however, these must be navy blue or white and deacons must wear the diaconal order badge they were presented with at their Ordination.[10] The badge of the MDO is an important identifier for Methodist deacons.

## See also

* Deacon § Methodist churches
* Deaconess

## Footnotes

### Explanatory notes

1. ↑ Methodist deacons are comparable to clerics regular in other denominations.
2. ↑ In British Methodism, ordination to the presbyterate, previously called "the ministry", has always been direct, without a transitional period as a deacon, unlike many other denominations.[2]

### Citations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "About the Diaconal Order" (in en). Methodist Church in Britain. https://www.methodist.org.uk/about-us/the-methodist-church/the-diaconal-order/about-the-diaconal-order/. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 ﻿What is a Deacon?﻿ (Report). Methodist Conference. 2004. https://www.methodist.org.uk/downloads/conf-what-is-a-deacon-2004.pdf. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
3. ↑ Brown, Rosalind (2005). Being a Deacon Today: Exploring a Distinctive Ministry in the Church and in the World. Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing. p. 9. ISBN 978-0819222015. https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Being_a_Deacon_Today/N-jbEE7l6fkC. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "History of the MDO". http://methodistdiaconalorder.org.uk/index.php?page=history-of-the-mdo. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
5. ↑ Graham, Dorothy (2004). Relations between the Wesley Deaconess Order and the Missionary Society. Methodist Heritage. Accessed 26 December 2016.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Vickers 2018, n.p.
7. ↑ Epting 2015.
8. ↑ Orton & Stockdale 2014, p. 6.
9. ↑ Vickers 2018.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Orton & Stockdale 2014, pp. 67–68.

## References

* Epting, Susanne Watson (2015). Unexpected Consequences: The Diaconate Renewed. Church Publishing, Inc.. ISBN 978-0-8192-2979-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=W1DGBwAAQBAJ.
* Graham, E. Dorothy (2002). Saved to Serve: Story of the Wesley Deaconess Order, 1890–1978. Werrington: Methodist Pub. House. ISBN 9781858522241.
* Orton, Andrew; Stockdale, Todd (2014). Making Connections: Exploring Methodist Deacons' Perspectives on Contemporary Diaconal Ministry. Sacristy Press. ISBN 9781908381194. http://dro.dur.ac.uk/12956/1/12956.pdf. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
* Vickers, John A., ed (2018). "Diaconate". https://dmbi.online/index.php?do=app.entry&id=827.

## External links

* The Diaconal Order – The Methodist Church website

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