The Diaconate in the Diocese of East Tennessee

Mission Statement
The mission of this committee, with the guidance and wisdom of Almighty God, is to provide a stable and noteworthy process for training and preparation of all postulants and students for Holy Orders to the Sacred Order of Deacons.

Goal of the Preparation and Formation Program
Goals include competency in each of the canonical areas and in preparation for servant ministry in the world. Goals will be achieved through intensive classroom study combined with experiential education and practical applications. There are commonalities and general expectations of this program that apply to everyone. However, the actual approach to achieving these goals may vary depending on each person’s background, present life circumstances and the church’s need for a particular ministry.

The Book of Common Prayer and Canonical Expectations
During the examination in the ordination rite for deacons, the bishop addresses the ordained and says:

“My brother, every Christian is called to follow Jesus Christ, serving God the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit. God now calls you to a special ministry of servanthood directly under your bishop. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are to serve all people, particularly the poor, the weak, the sick and the lonely.

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 preaching of God's Word and the administration of the sacraments. You are to carry out other duties assigned to you from time to time. At all times, your life and teachings are to show Christ's people that in serving the helpless they are serving Christ himself.”

(a) Nomination. A confirmed adult communicant in good standing may be nominated for ordination to the diaconate by the person's congregation or other community of faith. The nomination shall be in writing and shall include:

1. Full name and date of birth.
2. The length of time resident in the diocese.
3. Evidence of baptism and confirmation.
4. Whether an application has been made previously for postulancy or the person has been nominated in any diocese.
5. A description of the process of discernment by which the applicant has been identified for ordination to the diaconate.
6. The level of education attained and, if any, the degrees earned and areas of specialization.
7. A letter of support by the applicant's discernment community, including a statement committing the discernment community to involve itself in the applicant's preparation for ordination to the diaconate. If it be a congregation, the letter shall be signed by a two-thirds majority of the Vestry or comparable body, and the member of the clergy or leader exercising oversight.
8. An acceptance in writing by the nominated person.
9. The nomination shall be submitted to the bishop, who may admit the person as a postulant for ordination to the diaconate.

1. There shall be a thorough investigation of the postulant which shall inc1ude: (i) a background check, and (ii) medical and complete psychological evaluation by professionals approved by the bishop, using forms prepared for the purpose by the Church Pension Fund, and if desired or necessary, psychiatric referral. (iii) Reports of all investigations and examinations shall be kept on file by the bishop.
2. The bishop, or the bishop's designee, may interview the postulant. The commission or a designated committee shall interview the postulant, and the commission or designated committee shall submit a recommendation to the bishop.
3. The bishop may then admit the postulant as a student, informing the student and the member of the clergy or other leader of the student's discernment community in writing.

Section 3. Preparation for Ordination
(a) The bishop, in consultation with the commission, shall determine the length of time and extent of formation needed to prepare each student for ordination.
(b) Before ordination each student shall be prepared in and demonstrate basic competence in five general areas:

1. Academic studies including, the Holy Scriptures, theology and the tradition of the church
2. Diakonia and the diaconate
3. Human awareness and understanding
4. Spiritual development and discipline
5. Practical training and experience

Basic Competency Expectations
of students Seeking Ordination to the Diaconate

The Diaconate Teaching-Learning Process
It is assumed that students for the diaconate have rich backgrounds of experience on which to build, are highly motivated, and are committed to successful completion of the diaconal formation process. Learning is considered to be an ongoing, active and interactive process where as students they develop their potential as ministers, gaining competencies in classroom and experiential settings. Exploration of new ideas and freedom of expression are encouraged in mutually respectful relationships with teachers and other students with similar interests and motivations.

Though academic achievement is important, application in the ministry of daily life is the ultimate goal. The ability to minister effectively to the spiritual needs of God’s people is at the core of all learning, and emphasis is on practical application as illustrated through life experience.

*Teachers are sensitive to the differing learning needs of students and assist them in clarifying their aspirations for improvement. Students share in the planning of their learning experiences and perceive that the objectives for learning are their goals.

Progress assessment is an ongoing process of defining needs and refining skills of the student throughout the program. Teachers help the students to identify gaps between their aspirations and present competencies; teachers assist students to identify life problems they experience due to gaps in personal development. Assessment of progress is a joint process of self-evaluation and teacher assessment. The teacher serves as facilitator, assisting students in identifying their strengths and areas that need improvement. Together, teacher and student plan for learning experiences which will move the student toward ultimate success in meeting canonical examination expectations, those of the examining chaplains, and in-service after ordination.

The teacher incorporates program learning objectives specific to her/his teaching area into the course syllabus. Students submit their learning objectives to the teacher at the beginning of the course or summer assignment. Together, teacher and student review these objectives at mid-point, at the end of the course, and at other points as needed to determine where emphasis is needed to ensure that satisfactory competencies are achieved by the end of the program.

The teacher should submit the course syllabus to the Diaconal Formation Committee prior to beginning the course. An assessment report for each student should be submitted to the committee at midterm and at the completion of the course.

Learning Objectives Toward Fulfilling Competency Expectations

Before a student is ordained as a deacon, she/he must demonstrate certain skills and competencies in the areas described above. “Understanding,” “familiarity,” and “awareness” do not imply mastery; it does mean that the student understands the information/concept well enough to be able to use it in her/his ministry in the church and in the world. The following learning objectives will provide a framework to assist the student in meeting the canonical examination expectations given in the preceding section and the expectations of the examining chaplains outlined in "The Discernment Process for the Diaconate in the Diocese of East Tennessee."

General Learning
The student will:

1. Demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge and experience
2. Present examples of implicit connections among all canonical areas of study
3. Present examples to illustrate the impact of the deacon’s ministry on those with whom she/he has a relationship
4. Demonstrate skills in conflict management
5. Exhibit skills required to empower individuals and groups
6. Evidence skills for raising awareness about contemporary issues
7. Demonstrate an understanding of the deacon as interpreter and catalyst
8. Display skills in community coalition-building
9. Define skills in working with volunteers
10. Indicate skills in group dynamics
11. Demonstrate skills in communicating the presence of Christ

1. Relate different forms of biblical literature
2. Identify books of the Bible and the Apocrypha
3. Correlate dating of biblical materials
4. Explain the source theory of biblical development
5. Exegete a passage of scripture for use in ministry and sermon preparation
6. Demonstrate knowledge of available reference resources
7. Demonstrate use of the Bible as story in diaconal ministry
8. Use scripture in personal life and spiritual formation
9. Demonstrate sensitivity to the ways in which persons of other traditions come to the Christian story

Old Testament
The student will:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the general historical outline of the Old Testament, and the ability to put Old Testament history into a theological context
2. Acquire an understanding of themes in the Bible and how they relate to each other, (i.e., law, prophecy, history, apocalyptic)
3. Explain basic Old Testament theological terms such as covenant, sacrifice and people of God

New Testament
The student will:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the basic outline of the life of Jesus as presented in the four Gospels, with special emphasis on the Passion and Resurrection narratives
2. Identify the Synoptic Gospels and their relationship with the Gospel of John
3. Demonstrate awareness of the unique perspective of each of the four Gospel writers
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the parable as a teaching tool
5. Be familiar with the theology of St. Paul’s epistles and the different viewpoints of the other epistles
6. Have a basic knowledge of the outline of the book of Acts
7. Be able to explain the development of the early church, using the book of Acts and the epistles
8. Be able to discuss different New Testament perspectives on the relationship between the church and the world
9. Have a familiarity with the New Testament development of the office of deacon

1. Identify and explain the significance of the development of scripture, creeds, ministry, and early church practices
2. Describe how the historical events preceding and throughout Jesus’ ministry affected his life and teachings
3. Explain the roles and significance of church centers such as Rome, Alexandria, Antioch and Constantinople in the missionary expansion into Western Europe
4. Define “heresy” and demonstrate an understanding of the major heresies throughout church history
5. Illuminate the historical issues and causes of change in the church
6. Articulate the development of the Anglican Church beginning with its Celtic roots and continuing through the Reformation and the Oxford Movement
7. Articulate the development of the Episcopal Church in the United States
8. Articulate the development of the Episcopal Church in East Tennessee
9. Demonstrate knowledge of the context of the historical documents in the Book of Common Prayer
10. Articulate an understanding of the governance of the Episcopal Church on the local, convocational, diocesan, provincial, and national levels
11. Illustrate how revisions of the Book of Common Prayer have influenced changes in ministry and liturgical practices

1. Interrelate scripture, tradition and reason to show how they form the foundation for Anglican theology
2. Explain basic traditional areas of systematic theology
3. Describe the historical development and theological meaning of the Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds
4. Define such basic terms as providence, faith, justification, salvation, sacraments/sacramental, grace and sin
5. Articulate the basic terms of the baptismal covenant
6. Demonstrate knowledge of  the catechism in the Book of Common Prayer
7. Articulate a method for discerning the theological implications of a contemporary issue
8. Elucidate how contemporary theology has been affected by feminist, liberation, creation, African American and Native American theologies
9. Describe some of the unique contributions of Anglican theology
10. Define a personal theology including personal preferences and biases
11. Articulate the theological foundations of one’s own spirituality

1. Demonstrate how theology informs ethical decision making
2. Demonstrate steps and issues in the process of making ethical decisions
3. Clarify the ethical issues of authority
4. Articulate the ethical issues of ministry (servant ministry)
5. Correlate the relationship between ethics and contemporary social issues
6. Demonstrate knowledge of resources for making ethical decisions
7. Articulate the several understandings of Christian ethics and responsibility for taking action on any social issue
8. Articulate her/his own belief system of personal conduct as it relates to the ethical standards of a Christian in society today

1. Identify and analyze social justice issues facing the Church today
2. Discern local language and/or cultural speech and customs
3. Document understanding of the principles and methodology of social ministry
4. Demonstrate a working knowledge of referral sources
5. Articulate a range of viewpoints about at least two contemporary issues
6. Explain the dynamics of advocacy in social ministry
7. Distinguish the differences between a crisis, an emergency and a problem
8. Describe the Episcopal Church’s policy on a variety of social issues and/or the knowledge of how to find the policy
9. Demonstrate a commitment to the dynamics of nonviolent social change (i.e., political action, grassroots organizing and economic action)
10. Be familiar with how the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of East Tennessee have dealt and are dealing with racial and ethnic minorities and have the ability to critique both our past and present practices
11. Have the ability to clearly define racism and to articulate how racism has affected the student’s own life

1. Apply the role of the deacon in a variety of liturgical settings
2. Demonstrate facility with the Book of Common Prayer, Lesser Feasts and Fasts, Book of Occasional Services, Supplementary Liturgical Text, 1982 Hymnal and other appropriate resources
3. Identify the ministries of all four orders and their appropriate roles in the liturgy
4. Apply skills in sermon preparation, delivery and public reading
5. Be able to plan and lead the daily offices
6. Have knowledge of the role of the deacon in liturgy and how it relates to the wider ministry of the diaconate

1. Describe the ministry and the role of each of the three orders
2. Envision and describe a program of pastoral care for the local congregation
3. Discover outreach ministries within the community, how to access their services and what volunteer opportunities they provide
4. Delineate ways each of the canonical examination areas impacts her/his personal ministry and diaconal ministry
5. Characterize the internal dynamics of a congregation within a community and the differences in the roles of the priest, the laity and the deacon
6. Understand national and diocesan canons, particularly as they pertain to diaconal ministry

1. Explain basic approaches to pastoral care (i.e., family systems theory)
2. Demonstrate knowledge of pastoral care in life transitions and in a variety of settings
3. Demonstrate skills in interpersonal communication
4. Demonstrate skills in providing pastoral care in issues surrounding ethical decision-making
5. Demonstrate self-care and self-awareness in the role of pastoral caregiver
6. Demonstrate an understanding of boundaries, with the use of personal limits and appropriate referrals
7. Define the dynamics of expectations in both the giver and the receiver roles of a pastoral care relationship
8. Develop the ability to discuss proper ways of resolving conflict in a parochial staff situation
9. Demonstrate knowledge of the current policy and procedures for dealing with accusations of sexual misbehavior

Every student will be engaged in an active, experiential ministry during the diaconal formation process. The nature and scope of ministry experience will be assigned by the Bishop in consultation with the student, mentor and supervisor for the ministry. Clinical Pastoral Education may be required as determined by the bishop.

Structured reflection on the ministry will be done with the mentor and with deacons or others preparing for diaconal ordination when possible. Reflection may be verbal or written as deemed appropriate and should take into consideration the student’s past and present study.

Role of the Mentor
Every student will be assigned a person to serve as that student’s mentor throughout the preparation and formation process. The mentor for a student for the diaconate will be a deacon (preferred) or priest with the Diocese of East Tennessee chosen by the student and approved by the Bishop. She/he will be expected to generally support the student and guide him/her through the process. It is expected that regular contact will be maintained through personal meetings (preferred), phone calls and e-mail. Such contacts should take place as least quarterly.

The mentor fills several roles, including: guide, advocate, adviser, counselor and coach. Most importantly, the mentor is a friend who actively listens to the student, offers encouragement and shares her/his own experiences in the process of seeking and preparing for holy orders. Although the mentor and the student will probably share their respective spiritual experiences, both growth periods and dry periods, the mentor is not a spiritual director.

Personal Spiritual Formation
The University of the South School of Theology Extension Center provides an excellent four-year program designed to educate people for ministry. The model of regular study, reflection and worship used in EFM, within the context of an ongoing community of faith provides an excellent opportunity for Christian formation.

The student will be expected to develop a plan for spiritual formation which will include work with a spiritual director who is not the mentor and development of a rule of life. The student’s spiritual director is autonomous and does not report to anyone on the Commission on Ministry or within the ordination process.

Reports  
The classroom teacher shall submit an evaluation for each student at the conclusion of each semester using the form provided. This report shall be submitted to the Diaconal Formation Committee and to the student's mentor.

These reports will be maintained in the individual's file in the diocesan office.

The Diaconal Formation Committee shall report the progress and status of each student to the bishop and Commission On Ministry in January of each year.  

* Please see the PDF document outlining a lesson plan.

Diaconal Formation Process Manual: Review and Revision

The Diaconal Formation Committee will review the Diaconal Formation Process Manual annually and make revisions as necessary.

Acknowledgements: The content for the Diaconal Formation Process Manual is a compilation and redaction of information from multiple sources. The Diaconal Formation Committee appreciates and recognizes contributions from other dioceses and: The Rev. Larry Beach, the Rev. Barbara Anne Harper, Mr. Joel King, the Rev. A.D. Lewis, Ms. Marti Greenwood, Dr. Charlotte Boatwright, the Rev. Wade Frye, Mr. Rick Govan and the Rev. Suzanne Smitherman (both of the Commission on Ministry) and the Rt. Rev. Charles G. vonRosenberg, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee.

Diaconal Formation Committee current members:
The Rev. Larry Beach, Dr. Charlotte Boatwright, the Rev. Harry Howard, the Rev. A.D. Lewis, the Rev. Amy Morehous, the Rev. Ed Scott.

— Last revised Sept. 19, 2007