July 16, 2009

CHICAGO – What started as seven German deaconesses serving a Philadelphia hospital has grown to a flourishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

The ELCA Deaconess Community will mark 125 years of service to the church with a celebration July 18-19 in Atlanta. The celebration will feature the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, and the Rev. Susan C. Johnson, national bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC). The ELCA Deaconess Community serves both the ELCA and ELCIC.

Deaconesses are consecrated church leaders who have earned master's degrees in theology, religion or related courses. While ordained ministers are called to Word and sacrament ministries, deaconesses are called to Word and service ministries.

The deaconess community is the oldest example of women serving in the ELCA. It was started as an official ministry of the church in 1895 by the General Synod, an early predecessor of the ELCA. The ELCA formed in 1987 when the three of the largest U.S. Lutheran churches merged.

"Originally most of the women of this community served as social workers, nurses, administrators and technicians in hospitals, or as directors of Christian education, youth ministers and parish workers in congregations," said Sister Anne Keffer, directing deaconess. "Now we have added communicators, professors, chaplains and spiritual directors."

There are currently 72 deaconesses serving in various vocations. The community will add eight new deaconesses July 18 at the anniversary celebration.

"This in itself is a milestone," Keffer said. "Not since before 1960 has this community had so many women being invested at one time."

The community has updated and reprinted its 100-year history and created a DVD, "Quiet Strength," to showcase its history, current work and the future of the community.

Deaconesses were at 14 synod assemblies this year as part of a continuing program to "increase the community's visibility," Keffer said. They will also participate in worship at the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly August 20 by offering foot washing.

The ELCA community will support a deaconess community of the Karagwe Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) financially and through prayers. The sister community's leader will attend the celebration weekend in Atlanta and receive a monetary gift.

"We look forward to the mutual support of prayer and inspiration that our communities will be able to provide for each other," Keffer said.

More information on the ELCA Deaconess Community is at http://www.ELCA.org/deaconess/, on the Web.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is at http://www.elcic.ca/, on the Web.

Information on the Diocese of Karagwe is at http://www.karagwe-diocese.org/, on the Web.

ELCA News Service
Carrie L. Draeger is a senior communication major with a concentration in journalism at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service.