Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori: “Deacons are essential to this church. They work under the radar most of the time. Almost all of them work without pay.”
Prior to 1960, the diaconate functioned largely as a terminal ministry for women and a long-term holding pattern for racial minorities. After the mid-60s, deacons were reframed as having a role representing Christ in a way that functionary priests do not.
