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ORDER OF DEACONS & ORDER OF ELDERS

Order of Deacon and Order of Elder Similarities

The candidacy process is the SAME for both Orders.

• Elders and Deacons both interview with the Board of Ordained Ministry to be Commissioned.
• Once Commissioned, candidates:
• are granted PROVISIONAL conference membership.
• become Residents in Ministry, and meet together in cluster groups.
• become eligible after two (2) years to be considered for election to FULL conference membership, and Ordination.

The Order of Elder and the Order of Deacon are parallel in status, as each are considered residents during the period of PROVISIONAL membership. 

Ordained Elders and Ordained Deacons are members of the annual conference, rather than members of a local church.

Order of Deacon and Order of Elder Differences

The Order of Elder and the Order of Deacon differ in function. To borrow from medical terminology, Elders are generalists, while Deacons are specialists.

• Elders are Ordained to:
• Order – an administration role
• Sacrament – a priestly role
• Word – a teaching/preaching role
• Service

• Deacons are Ordained to:
  • Word – a teaching/preaching role
  • Service – especially called to the marginalized
  • Compassion
  • Justice
  • Interpret to the church the world’s hurts and hopes

Ordained Elders are itinerant.

• Currently with guaranteed appointment.

Deacons find their own ministry setting and then request the bishop’s approval and appointment to that ministry setting.

• If the ministry setting is beyond the local church, the bishop grants the Deacon a secondary appointment to a local church so that the deacon can connect the local church with the needs of the world.

Ordained Deacons may administer the sacraments only if given specific, special permission by the bishop, at the request of the Deacon and the Deacon’s district superintendent.