Claim: The Methodist Diaconal Order, founded by Thomas Bowman Stephenson in 1890, is both a religious order and an order of ministry Methodist Diaconal Order where currently, the order reports to have about 280 presbyters, who follow a common Rule of Life.
Evidence: Wesleyan Deaconesses and the Wesley Deaconess Order were founded by the Rev. Thomas Bowman Stephenson in 1890. The MDO is both a religious order and an order of ministry (or in other words, an order of clerics regular). Currently the order reports to have about 280 deacons, who follow a common Rule of Life. In the Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches, the diaconate is one of the major orders — the others being bishop, presbyter (priest), and, historically, subdeacon.