Deacons bring the needs of the world to the church and bring the church to the world.
Deacons are persons called by God and are part of the ordained leadership (along with priests and bishops) in The Episcopal Church.
In The Episcopal Church a deacon exercises “a special ministry of servanthood” directly under the deacon's bishop, serving all people and especially those in need (BCP, p. 543). This definition reflects the practice of the early church, in which deacons were ordained “not to the priesthood but to the servanthood [diakonia, “ministry”] of the bishop” (Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition). In the ancient Greek-speaking world the term diakonos meant an intermediary who acted or spoke for a superior. Christian deacons were agents of the bishop, often with oversight of charity. - from The Episcopal Church
About the Ministry of Deacons
Of the Ordination (Canon 6) and Life and Work (Canon 7) of Deacons — The Episcopal Church (2018)
In the ordination service for a deacon, the bishop says to the candidate:
As a deacon in the Church, you are to study the Holy Scriptures, to seek nourishment from them, and to model your life upon them. You are to make Christ and his redemptive love known, by your word and example, to those among whom you live, and work, and worship. You are to interpret to the Church the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world. You are to assist the bishop and priests in public worship and in the ministration of God's Word and Sacraments, and you are to carry out other duties assigned to you from time to time. At all times, your life and teaching are to show Christ's people that in serving the helpless they are serving Christ himself.
Deacons in Iowa
Deacons in this diocese work in food ministries, chaplaincy, and re-entry programs for released prisoners. They work with immigrants and refugees, children, the elderly, those who are houseless, and those who have experienced domestic violence. They connect their faith with others through writing, yoga, theatre, and music. They have started community book sales, community gardens, and meals in every corner of the diocese. Deacons’ work in this diocese is always relational, whether with neighbors or those in another continent; it is ecumenical and brings in partners wherever they are found.
Additionally, deacons support each other by having a deacon mentor for new deacons as well as in formation.
Discernment
What is God calling me to do? Who is God calling me to be? What might I do for the church and the world?
Learn more about the discernment process for ordained ministry, including becoming a deacon.