Female Deacons?

[NINGirl]

Starting today, there will be meetings concerning this, and soon enough, our church will begin ordaining female deacons.

Is it just my church that's beginning this?

I really do not know my opinion on the issue. The participation of females in the church is vital, in my opinion, but as far as being ordained and dressing out, I'm not sure what I think about that.

[CopticGirl]

Christine, the position of a deaconesse is quite different from that of a deacon. The rules of the church...i.e. no females in altar, still apply, but nevertheless I'm underthe impression that they are there more so to assist the other females of the church and help lead in hymns and that sort. I saw a site somewhere describing the position, I'll see if I can find it for you.

Your church is not the only one, the position was recently revived.

God Bless,
Elizabeth

[erinipassi]

Hi Ningirl,

You wanted to know about what is the role of deaconess in our Church and whether it existed or was it something new, the answer is it existed since the beginning of the establishment of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Here is a the website that explains it in great detail for and its about the rites of deacons and deaconess:

http://www.egyptmypeople.org/books/deacons.pdf

From the website above, I will post an extract for those who want to know more about it:

In the first church, there were deaconesses helping the Apostles, the Bishops andthe Priests in some of the fields of service. No lady was allowed to join theservices unless she exceeded 60 years of age, mostly being a widow of only one husband. The rules of the Apostles were that the deaconesses must be either a virgin or a widow of 60 years or older to only one husband.

• Some examples were Phoebe, the Servant of the church of Cenchrea, St. Paul commended her to the church of Rome saying, "I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you: for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also." (Romans 16"1,2).


• Also we hear about another deaconess, and a disciple to our teacher Paul, she was called Tekla, she believed and was baptised, she became his disciple, and sent her to the town Eucnea to serve there. She faced many tortures and persecutions, the Lord used to save her each time. When she was 80 years old, she dedicated herself only for worship and meditation, then she reposed in peace, after an honest service. The Greek Sinixarium describes her saying, "Peace to St. Telka the martyr, who martyrised without shedding blood." The Coptic Church celebrates her departure on the 22nd of Tut.





The service of consecrated deaconess had ceased in the 13th century, but Pope Shenouda III revived it when he ordained a great number of deaconesses in the Pentecost Feast on 1981. Also some Bishops ordain deaconesses to serve in their Dioceses.

The Rite of Upholding Deaconesses:
It is well known that the rank of a deaconess is not included in the church ranks, it is not a priesthood rank, for there is no priesthood for ladies. St. Mary the Virgin, the Lady of the Heavenlies and Earthlies, the Mother of the Incarnate God, did not acquire any priesthood rank, although she was the Mother of all the Apostles, sharing the service with them.

• The hand is not laid on a deaconess, as in the ordaining of priesthood ranks. After the Prayer of Reconciliation, she stands in front of the sanctuary bowing her head while the Bishop prays the following prayer mentioned in the Laws of the Apostles:


"O Eternal God, Father of out Lord Jesus Christ, Creator of man and woman, who filled Mary, Deborah, Hanna and Kelda with His Spirit, you did not refrain that you Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ be born from a woman. Now look at your servant standing before you, the chooses deaconess, fill her with you Holy Spirit, cleanse her of every inequity of the body and spirit, for the honour of you and your Christ and the Holy Spirit with whom you share the Glory worship forever Amen."


Responsibilities of a Deaconess in the Church:
A deaconess can carry out many services in the church, as an example:
1. Helping the priest when baptising the ladies. The priest puts his hand on the head of the baptised woman inside the Baptismal Font, he immerses her 3 times in the Baptism water in the name of The Father and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit. After getting out, she puts on her clothes, then the priest anoints her with the Holy Maroun, only on the seen parts of her body. There should bea deaconess attending the baptised lady, to help and guide her in what should be done before and after baptism.

2. Organising the ladies to sit in their specific areas in the church.
3. Organising the ladies to partake of the Holy Communion: She should make sure that they are Orthodox Christians, confessing regularly. Also to make sure when proceeding to the Holy Communion.

4. She helps in the visitations to the girls and ladies, encouraging them to come to the church's liturgies and meetings.
5. She can serve in Sunday School for Children, and through her simplicity and kindness, attracts them to the church.

6. She can serve in the church childcare centre, for she can bear the children, and feed them with her kindness and love.
7. She can work in the social work of the church, serving the widows, needy and poor, a complete service.
8. She can work in Orphanages, being a mother to those who are deprived from having a mother in their childhood.

9. She can work in nursing homes, serving them with sacrifice, in their eating, drinking and bathing, or nursing them, bearing them because of their old age and illness.
10.She can visit the sick ladies, either at home or in the hospitals, talking to them with God's words and encouraging them. She can also inform the father priest about those who need visiting or communion.
11.She can organise the ladies activities in the church, either functions or workshops, etc.

12.She can supervise the cleanliness of the church. its furniture, except the sanctuary, as it is forbidden for ladies to enter inside it.
13.She can supervise in the hospitals established by the churches or Bishoperices.
14.she can supervise the "Foreign girls Hostels" for those girls coming from other countries, they are in real need of Christian care, to protect them and help them in their success.


May the Lord Bless the lives of all deacons and deaconesses to become a sweet aroma before Him. Amen.


love and blessings
erini