The mission of the church through LCMS World Relief and Human Care is to reach out in mercy and compassion to those in need, motivated by and Christ and His Gospel, according to the Lutheran confession of the faith.

"Deaconess," from the Greek word diakonos, means "servant." Phoebe, who is named in Romans 16:1-2, was a helper to Paul and others. She is often considered the first deaconess.

Deaconesses have served the Lutheran church since the 1830's in a variety of roles. Today you find them primarily in three settings: missions—both foreign and domestic; congregations—teaching, visiting the sick and imprisoned, or serving in family or other caring ministry; and institutions—serving as chaplains in hospitals, prisons, retirement communities, and facilities that care for people with developmental disabilities.

Because of the strong historic and ongoing human care component in deaconess ministry, LCMS World Relief and Human Care maintains a consultative presence on the Deaconess Council, which was formed to enhance the coordination of training and promotional activities for this vital area of Christian ministry.

From the Desk of Rev. Matthew Harrison

Jesus PROCLAIMS the Good News "in their synagogues and in the whole of Galilee" (Mark 1:39). Just because the Office of the Ministry and its tasks are not given to women, this hardly means there is no task for women in speaking and teaching the Gospel. Quite the contrary! Loehe writes that the deaconess is responsible for "Seelsorge" (care of souls) for those whom she serves! She speaks of Christ to all whom she serves. And our deepest hope, dream and joy is that wherever the deaconess serves she speaks the Gospel. She brings the altar, font and pulpit to all whom she serves, and she draws them back to the same. She brings Christ, Christ’s Word and the Church! Let’s have done with the summarily ridiculous, nay heretical, idea that the Gospel is ineffectual unless spoken by an ordained clergyman!

What does a deaconess do? She serves. She does what needs to be done. She shows the compassion, the mercy the love the instruction of Christ. Where Christ says "No" to women’s service at ONE place, He and his church say a round, hearty and full bodied "YES! and MORE!" in a thousand places delimited only by need and gifts. Let’s finally get on with saying YES! We at LCMS World Relief and Human Care pledge to do whatever it takes to continue to open doors and dream about possibilities and rejoice when possibilities become realities - realities to GO! To proclaim the Good News! To have COMPASSION! And to TOUCH the untouchable. "Let’s go!" (Mark 1:38).

Rev. Matthew Harrison
Executive Director
LCMS World Relief and Human Care
St. Louis, MO
(excerpts taken from Mercy Works, Spring 2006)

More From the Desk of Rev. Matthew Harrison...

The deaconess office is a portal through which women may step into consecrated service of Christ and His church, via a plethora of needed vocations and tasks, which in turn often serve the most needy.

The deaconess is a woman, theologically trained and competent, supportive of the church’s public confession, who gives herself to a special need in the church’s life. The tasks are as varied as the women themselves. Those tasks may involve spiritual care, aspects of nursing/medical care, administrative responsibilities, instruction in the faith, mission work, care for the weak and impoverished, care for women in need, or any number of vocations needed for the church’s life at the congregational and institutional levels.

Our dream is to see deaconesses again serving at the highest levels of the church’s institutions of mercy (CEO!) and, in fact, running their own institutions of mercy. Both LCMS seminaries are offering a master’s degree-level deaconess track through which women (particularly second-career women) may enhance their ability to serve Christ and His church. The Synod needs the service of these faithful women. It needs the gifts faithful women bring to the church.

To these ends, LCMS World Relief and Human Care stands ready to assist in any way possible. I, for one, view the apostle’s words as a mandate: "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a help of many and of myself as well" (Rom. 16:1,2).

(excerpts taken from Reporter, August 2003)

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