"Deaconess Work" Funded by German State

This year's new challenge of teaching German to Middle School students has taken me down a few unexpected paths, but certainly down some fun ones such as the exploration of German websites. On one of those journeys I came across Concordat Watch, a site dedicated to achieving the separation of Church and State as a means toward ensuring (equal) human rights for all people. Interestingly, one piece claims that "the first centralized German church charity was established by the Protestants as a response to the threat posed by the socialist workers' movement."

Among a variety of articles delivered from purely secular points of view, Concordat Watch contains (biased) information about the origin and development of deaconess work in Germany, as well as the current delivery of "Protestant" diaconal services through the organization known as Kiakonisches Werk.

Diakonisches Werk is described as presenting itself, "not as a huge state-funded corporation, but as a soup-kitchen run by deaconesses, or Protestant nuns."
These women "worked in hospitals, kindergartens, and homes for the aged. However, today the Diakonisches Werk is no longer staffed by deaconesses, any more than Caritas [the comparable Catholic charity] is by nuns."

In another entry regarding modern times we read:

The Protestant church charity, Diakonisches Werk

"The Protestant Diakonisches Werk is organized geographically into 24 state associations and thematically into 90 professional associations. It includes the diaconical institutions of nine different Protestant churches (Mennonites, Salvation Army, Independent Protestant-Lutheran Church, Methodists, Moravian Brethren, Old Catholics, Association of Free Evangelical Churches (Baptists/Bretheren), Evangelical Old-Reformed Church). ...

"In 1989 Communist rule ended in East Germany, which united with West Germany. The eastern part of the country was traditionally Protestant and it is not surprising that soon the size of the Diakonisches Werk increased significantly. Between 1978 to 1998, (a period which includes the addition of the eastern German states) the number of employees increased 70 percent (from 17,800 to 30,100) and the number of places or beds increased 51 percent, (from 713,000 to 1.08 million), while the number of full-time employees almost doubled (from 215,000 to 420,000). After this expansion into the new eastern states, consolidation set in and from 1998 to 2000 the Diakonisches Werk actually contracted slightly. The reduction in the number of facilities and services was 13 percent, employees 5 percent and places or beds 3 percent. Only the small sections concerned with “special help” and “training” showed any growth. Then from 2000 to 2002 all the key numbers rose in terms of the number of facilities and the beds or places, however, they did so only by 1.4 percent and 4 percent respectively, while the number of employees rose by 13 percent through the addition of 51,764 new positions. ...

"What is going on here? Two facts are suggestive. One is that during its quick expansion into the former East Germany, the Diakonisches Werk was obliged to hire people with no church affiliation. The second is that a decade later it was finally in a position to begin insisting on church membership and, as an official of the Diakonisches Werk admitted, to offer these employees a permanent job only when and if they joined the church."

Concordat Watch is certainly worth a look for those who might be interested in exploring cooperation between church and state in the delivery of diaconal service!

http://www.concordatwatch.eu/showsite.php?org_id=858

Historical Records Grant provides Deaconess Photos

What a surprise and delight to note that the state of Missouri supports the preservation of historical archive materials which are related to local history but originated in the context of the work of a Christian church.

The Dana Dawson Library located at Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, has received a grant from the "Missouri Historical Records Grant" program for the purpose of restoring and digitizing historical photographs from the Kansas City National Training School for Deaconesses and Missionaries. (Saint Paul School of Theology is a seminary of the United Methodist Church, split between two campuses in Kansas City and Oklahoma City.)

The library's blog site explains: "These photographs document the history of women’s ministerial work in the Kansas City community and highlight Saint Paul’s ongoing commitment to social issues. The heritage of the Kansas City National Training School is reflected in the records, photographs and publications such as The Kansas City Deaconess of the training school as well as in several books in the Saint Paul library. This rich heritage tells the story of courageous young women who ventured into the most desolate, dangerous, and poverty-stricken areas of Kansas City to bring social services and hope to the poor. Additionally, their stories give voice to the poor and immigrant populations of Kansas City during the beginning of the 20th Century. These records can supplement students’ studies in women’s history, social justice issues, health and welfare ministries, and ministry to immigrant populations."

First Deaconess-in-Training in WELS Sister Church

Pieter Reid, a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), serves as "a pastoral friendly counselor" to the national Indonesian church known as Gereja Lutheran Indonesia (GLI). According to Reid's Oct. 7, 2010 blog on missions in Indonesia, GLI is making history by training its very first deaconess.

Reid explained, "One goal of the sister church of WELS in Indonesia is to get the women of GLI active in serving the Lord and serving each other. For this to happen and continue, there needs to be a GLI woman who can be trained to assume this leadership role. ...

"Ibu Heni, one of the pastor’s wives, started attending the GLI seminary two years ago. She didn’t do it to become a pastor, but wanted to grow spiritually. Ibu Heni is taking all of the courses required of the seminary students. Besides being very gifted and faithfully applying herself, she understands the teachings of the Bible, has leadership ability, and the heart of a servant. Ibu Heni has the gifts to become a deaconess and help all the women of GLI to serve the Lord and serve others.

"The leaders of GLI were approached and asked if Ibu Heni could be designated as a Deaconess-in-training. She will continue taking all the seminary courses for the next two years. She will have all the doctrine courses, counseling courses, courses on family life, and all the other courses a pastor will have taken. Work has begun to train and prepare Ibu Heni to become a Deaconess who will oversee the entire ministry of women within GLI and prepare these women to reach out to those who do not yet have Jesus as their Savior. What a blessing a Deaconess will be to this church body!”

It will be interesting to watch this new development, and to note whether the next stage of training - to prepare the women of Indonesia to "reach out to those who do not yet have Jesus as their Savior" - will indeed produce a second generation of deaconesses for this church body.

We wish them every blessing with this endeavor!

Reflejo de Cristo - The Call of the Deaconess

A beautiful visual of Renate Gibbs highlighting three aspects of diaconal ministry: spiritual care, works of mercy, and teaching the faith.

Deaconesses in LCMS Procession

On September 11, 2010, the Service of Installation for the new President of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, as well as other synod officers and elected and appointed Board and Commission Members of the LCMS, took place at the Chapel of St. Timothy and Saint Titus on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

One of the unique features of the Divine Service was the procession of 300 individuals into the sanctuary during the Processional Hymn, "Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest." The printed service book noted, "The procession this morning holds high our Lord's work in The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod through its called pastors and church workers, as well as through the ministry of our partner churches throughout the world. The faculty of St. Paul's Lutheran School, Des Peres, Missouri, represents the commissioned teachers of our Synod. Other commissioned ministers of our Synod follow them. Members of the Concordia Deaconess Conference represent our Synod's work of mercy throughout the world. The pastors of our Synod and the Council of Presidents are those called to the preaching office. Faculty members from our Synod's seminaries prepare men for that preaching office. Visiting bishops and presidents from our partner churches throughout the world exhibit the catholicity of the Gospel throughout the world and the worldwide carrying out of our Lord's command to 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation' (Mark 16:15). The Praesidium and those serving in the service this morning conclude the procession."

The thirty-nine members of Concordia Deaconess Conference in the procession traveled at their own expense, from 14 different states, to take part in this joyous occasion. The women included Jennie Asher, Heidi Bishop, Sandra Bowers, Kim Bueltmann, Linda Cosgrove, Gloria DeCuir, Susan Eyer, Jessica Feldmann, Lorraine Groth, Kelly Hardt, Julie Heck, Betsy Karkan, Dorothy Krans, Sarah Longmire, Ruth McDonnell, Linda Meyer, Jeana Moe, Betty Mulholland, Cheryl D. Naumann, Pamela Nielsen, Linda Nobili, Jane Obersat, Lauren Olsen, Joyce Ostermann, Jennifer Phillips, Grace Rao, Loraine Rathman, Deborah Rockrohr, Kim Schave, Carol Schroeder, Sarah Schultz, Linda Seward, Doris Snashall, Jane Stancliff, Corinne Thompson, Gayle Truesdell, Kristin Wassilak, Rosemary Williams, and Renee Young.

Several informal "group" photos such as the one above were taken of the LCMS deaconesses as they began to arrive at the chapel (but no photo actually captured all 39 women together at the same time).

LCMS World Mission Deaconess in Hong Kong

The "Mission Blog" - official blog of LCMS World Mission - is a great place to browse for inspirational stories about the synod's foreign mission fields and the people who are working in those fields.

One of the new posts is from Deaconess Carol Halter, who has been in Hong Kong for many years. Carol's account of her witness to a woman she met at a family reunion she had been invited to speaks volumes about her commitment to Christ and her primary focus whenever she is with people... a focus on planting the seed of the Word of God in the hearts of those who still need to be reached for Christ.

Have a look for yourself at http://tiny.cc/ok7oh and enjoy the stories of Carol and other LCMS missionaries like her.

Photos of ULCA Deaconess Motherhouse in Baltimore

Archivists for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have uploaded an interesting collection of photos which include images of the Lutheran Deaconess Motherhouse and Training School in Balitmore, Maryland.

Many of the photos were taken during the "1960 Triennial Conference" held at the Motherhouse. Even though such photos may not relate directly to one's own church history, it's fun to see what the deaconess movement looked like in other pockets of American religious history. Particularly enjoyable are photos of the deaconesses, their garb, and their faces as they interact with one another and their environment.

To take a closer look, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/elcaarchives/4858186450/in/photostream/