Our bishop, The Rt. Yes, by our baptism we are all called to be ministers, to serve. In our baptismal vows we do promise to seek and serve Christ in all people, to strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being. Deacons help us remember our servant ministries. Deacons serve in the Church and in the world, and they are messengers between the Church and the world.
Deacons encourage others to become involved.
The image of a bridge is sometimes used to describe this linking, intermediary nature of diaconal ministry. Deacons serve the powerless and the forgotten, and carry Christ's message to them. Deacons serve the Church by bringing the message of the powerless and forgotten to the Church. One of the ways in which lay persons are experiencing their Bapismal Ministry is through preaching. While lay preaching may seem quite a new thing to many of us, I find it interesting that a number of congregations in Maine are making it a part of their congregational life.