Question: what is a deacon in the church of ireland

title: Church of Ireland
text: Doctrine , canon law , church governance , church policy , and liturgical matters are decided by the church 's General Synod . The General Synod comprises two Houses , the House of Bishops and the House of Representatives . The House of Bishops includes the 10 diocesan bishops and two archbishops , forming one order . The House of Representatives is made up of two orders , clergy and laity . The order of clergy holds one third of the seats while the laity holds two thirds of the seats . As of 2017 , there are 216 clergy members and 432 lay members in the House of Representatives . The membership of the House of Representatives is made up of delegates from the dioceses , with seats allocated to each diocese 's clergy and laity in specific numbers ; these delegates are elected every three years .