The Life and Vocation of a Deacon

 

On November 9, 2009 at Truro Anglican Church in Fairfax Virginia, Bishop Marytn Minns laid his hands on my head to confer Holy Orders and ordination to the order of Vocational (or Perpetual) Deacon. Almost immediately following, my wife Robin placed this stole on my shoulder as i then wore the external symbol of what the Lord had just accomplished.  On that crisp day in early November, five of us received Holy Orders.  Three would become transitional Deacons who were later consecrated as Priests, one who would be consecrated as Bishop while two of us remain as Deacons.  This day would be nothing short of a paradigm shift that has ultimately and inexorably altered the trajectory of my life.  It would be an evolution of sorts that was initially impacted by a dysfunctional leader who greatly hampered my ministerial maturation while he was actively destroying his parish.  Yet my Bishop, a wise servant, rehomed my into a new parish.  I'd say that this absolutely saved my vocational ministry.  Eleven years out, I'm in an infinitely better place.

  In that first decade, I was a bi-vocational Deacon (as are many) with my time being mostly consumed by my day job as an FBI supervisor.  I retired from that position on May 31st, turning the page into would be fulltime vocational ministry.  So in all this, what does a Deacon do?  The answer may surprise you.  I'll endeavor to answer this question over the next few installments.