When Lutherans think of Christian worship, the most often think in terms of “Word and Sacrament.” Our Sunday liturgies center on the proclamation of God’s Word and the distribution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Pastors, are known as ministers of word and sacrament, because they have been called and ordained to preach the Word and administer the sacraments.

There is another professional ministry in the church, and that is the ministry of Word and Service. We read in Acts 6 that the apostles were so busy with their ministry of proclamation that the distribution of food among the widows of Jerusalem was neglected. In response to the pressing need for service to the poor, the office of deacon (from the Greek diakonos – “servant”) was established in the early church. Seven men were set apart as deacons, among them Stephen, the first Christian martyr. It was their responsibility to care for the vulnerable members of the fledgling Christian community. In Romans 16:1-2 St. Paul makes reference to Phoebe, “a deacon of the church at Cenchreae,” indicating that women, as well as men, likely served in this role in earliest days of Christianity.

While the diaconate seems to have flourished during New Testament and Patristic times, by the fifth century there was a decline in the “permanent” diaconate in the Roman Church (though they remained prominent in the Eastern Church). Seminarians were ordained as “transitional” deacons in preparation for their ordination into the priesthood, but permanent deacons were few and far between for centuries. Following the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, however, the role of deacons in the church has expanded. While they may not preside at the Mass, they may baptize, officiate at weddings, and serve in a variety of liturgical roles. Deacons often work directly in ministry to the marginalized inside and outside the church: the poor, the sick, the hungry, the imprisoned. While most have other full-time employment, some deacons are employed as full-time chaplains in hospitals, prisons, and other institutions.

Among Lutherans, the diaconal movement has also developed significantly in recent years. The ELCA and its predecessor bodies have set apart deaconesses – female ministers of service – since the early 19th century. In the early days of the movement, deaconesses often did nursing work in church related institutions, such as orphanages and hospitals. Later, they often served as directors of Christian education in Lutheran parishes. Fewer women have become deaconesses since the ordination of women began in the late 1970s, but there is still a need for ministers of Word and Service, both male and female.

When the ELCA was established in 1988 it established three rosters of ministers: pastors, deaconesses, and associates in ministry. In 1993 a roster of diaconal minsters was established, and the first were consecrated in 1995. Since 2017, those who served on the lay rosters as associates in ministry, diaconal ministers, and deaconesses are now part of a unified roster of “Ministers of Word and Service, and are known as deacons. As with Roman Catholic deacons, preparation for the diaconate involves theological study and practical training, both in parish and institutional settings. According to the ELCA website: “Deacons serve in congregations and other ministries of the ELCA, including family ministries, youth, administration, volunteer ministry, social services, music or parish nursing. Deacons connect the church with the needs of the world and work to equip others to lead a living, active and caring Christian life.”

Our own deacon, Eileen Smith, was set apart as a deacon in 1998 by the Metropolitan Synod of the ELCA. Before moving to New Jersey, her initial call to diaconal service was synod communicator, in which capacity she wrote a monthly newsletter for the ministerium (synod clergy) and occasional articles for The Lutheran magazine. She also worked with end-of-life issues, including establishing a semi-annual gathering of ELCA and LCMS clergy and addressing congregations on these matters. She also assisted Bishop Stephen Bouman, both administratively and liturgically.

We were truly blessed when Eileen move to Wayne and joined our fold. She has served the church and our congregation in many ways. Deacon Eileen serves frequently in traditional liturgical functions, and is an excellent preacher. She’s often filled in for me when I’ve been on vacation and preached at my 25th anniversary of ordination service way back in 2006. She regularly writes articles for TIPS and has also been published in The Lutheran and the Forum Letter. She initiates, assists, and edits our confirmands’ annual devotional booklets. Eileen was the architect of our excellent Prime Timers program and continues to find speakers and organize events. She’s active in the Wayne Alliance for the Prevention of Substance Abuse and has chaired several committees at St. Timothy over the years, including Worship and Outreach. Eileen was officiating at her nephew’s wedding on June 17, 2018, the 20th anniversary of her consecration as a deacon. Let’s wish her a belated happy and blessed anniversary! We at St. Timothy, as well as the whole Church are truly blessed by this Ministry of Word and Service.

Good Stewards 2018

For the third time in the history of St. Timothy’s Good Steward Award, the honor was bestowed upon a couple in 2018: Patricia and Bernard Spardel. Unfortunately, for the first time in the award’s history, one of the recipients was awarded the prize posthumously, and that, of course, was Pat, whom we lost last month. Pat is remembered as a wife, a mother, a language instructor, a professional counselor, and a crafter extraordinaire (quilting and knitting were her specialties) as well as being an extremely active member of our congregation. At church she served several terms on council, was a member of the Outreach Committee, was active in Bookworms, the adult reading group, Miriam Circle, and was the founding member of our knitting group. Pat coordinated our Christmas season angel gifts and, together with Hulde Ritz, scheduled our weekly coffee hours. In the community she was active in Family Promise of Passiac County, the Wayne Alliance, and various other organizations. She was also the “voice of St. Timothy,” emailing shepherding notices to the congregation (patch1103@aol.com) and making phone calls with the familiar introduction, “this is St. Timothy calling …”

Husband Bernie’s no slouch either, though his faithful service is somewhat less visible. Bernie also served several terms on council (though not concurrently with Pat!), and has been a very active member of the property committee for many years. Along with the late George Laubscher, Bernie was responsible for much of the design work for our Connection of Faith building project and was the Connection’s project manager. Over the years Bernie has responded to countless emergency call from yours truly – “Bernie, there’s no hot water”; “Bernie, the furnace isn’t running”; “Bernie, the AC isn’t working,” etc., etc., etc. and showed up on site with barely a complaint. He was even stuck in the elevator once when no one else was in building, effectively testing the emergency phone system. Another of Bernie’s enduring contributions to St. Timothy is his belief that the only good weed is a dead one. He’s the guy applying Weed-be-Gone to all the errant vegetation.

As a couple, Bernie and Pat were distinctly different from one another but were truly a complementary couple. I’ll especially remember the way they’d sit together on the love seat in the parlor during my Lenten mid-week Bible studies. Both would ask probing questions and make insightful observations. They were truly a match made in heaven!

In Jesus’ name,

Pastor Robert M. Mountenay