1. In the Diocese of Maine, persons who expect to exercise diaconal ministry for the duration of their active service are termed DEACONS. Those who are serving in diaconal ministry for a period of time (usually 6-12 months) as part of their formation for the priesthood are termed TRANSITIONAL DEACONS.

The order of ministry is the same in both cases; but policies, procedures, avenues of formation and lines of accountability differ greatly between the two, so consistency in using these distinct designations is vital.

2. The Ordinal (service of ordination) of a Deacon specifies that Deacons are to serve directly under the Bishop (Book of Common Prayer, page 543). In the Diocese of Maine this means that:

a. The Bishop has the authority to appoint Deacons to ministry in congregations, upon request of, and with concurrence of, the Priest and Vestry/Bishop’s Committee of the congregation. The congregation to which a Deacon is appointed may or may not be the same congregation from which the Deacon is raised up and sponsored for ordination.

b. Deacons are not relieved of their appointed ministry except by action of the Bishop.

c. In the event of any concerns about a Deacon's service in a congregation, the Bishop will be consulted promptly. The Bishop may consult with the Archdeacons regarding such circumstances.

d. The Deacon, Priest and Vestry/Bishop’s Committee shall develop a Letter of Agreement detailing the Deacon’s ministry in the appointed congregation. The Letter of Agreement will be signed by the Deacon, Priest, Wardens and Bishop, and a copy shall be kept on file in the Bishop’s office.

e. In most cases, the Deacon will serve under the day-by-day supervision of a Priest of the congregation served. In extra-parochial ministries (for example, youth work), Deacons will be under the supervision of the persons who are responsible for those areas of ministry. A Deacon will not have charge of a congregation, except on a temporary basis as determined by the Bishop.

f. The Bishop may, for good cause, grant to a Deacon a Leave of Absence from some or all of his/her duties. The nature and duration of such a Leave of Absence is a pastoral matter between the Bishop and the Deacon. A Leave of Absence does not imply disciplinary concerns, nor does it jeopardize a Deacon’s eligibility for future ministry appointments. During a Leave of Absence, the Deacon will report regularly to the Bishop.

g. Deacons shall make an annual report to the Bishop regarding the exercise of their ministries. A form for this purpose is sent by the Bishop's office each year to every Deacon on the Canonical Clergy List. The timely return of this report is the Deacon's responsibility. Deacons who fail to make such report for two successive years will be placed on the Inactive List and will forfeit the rights and responsibilities detailed in Item 3 below.

3. Deacons are granted, insofar as canonically permissible, the rights, responsibilities and obligation of the Clergy including, but not limited to:

1. Participation in Clergy Days and Clergy Retreats,
2. Eligibility for elected and appointed ecclesiastical offices,
3. Seat and vote in Diocesan Convention, as specified in the Constitution of the Diocese of Maine, Article III, Section 3.
4. Eligibility for assistance with continuing education expenses through the Loring Fund and the Bishop’s Funds (subject to internal policies regarding the allocation of those funds),
5. Pastoral care for self and family by the Bishop and the Archdeacons, and Clergy sabbaticals as specified in the policies of the Diocese.
6. Deacons are subject to ecclesiastical discipline according to Title IV of the National Canons and Title VI of the Diocesan Canons.

4. Deacons shall serve in the Eucharistic liturgies of the Church as specified in the Book of Common Prayer. Deacons shall proclaim the Gospel, attend to the preparation and care of the Altar, and pronounce the Dismissal. It is not appropriate for any of the liturgical responsibilities of a Deacon to be exercised by a Priest or Bishop when a Deacon is serving in the liturgy. Ordinarily a Deacon will administer the chalice and cant or say the Exsultet at the Great Vigil of Easter.

5. Other liturgical duties shall be negotiated between the Deacon and the supervising Priest, subject to the rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer and in consultation with the Bishop as appropriate. Specifically, Deacons may:

1. Administer the sacrament of Holy Communion in either kind,
2. Preach sermons/homilies with the approval of the Priest of the congregation and the Bishop,
3. Carry the sacrament to the sick and homebound,
4. Administer the Sacrament of Unction, using oil blessed for this purpose by a Priest or Bishop,
5. Bid the Prayers of the People and the Confession of Sin,
6. Offer the Solemn Collects at the Liturgy of Good Friday

6. In consultation with the Bishop, Deacons may officiate at marriages except for the Nuptial Blessing, which is reserved to a Priest or Bishop. As is true for any baptized Christian, Deacons may administer the Sacrament of Baptism in an emergency. With the permission of the supervising Priest, Deacons may officiate at Baptism using water blessed for this purpose by a Priest or Bishop.

7. A Deacon may distribute communion from the Reserved Sacrament according to the Book of Common Prayer, page 408 only when it is impossible to obtain the services of a Priest, in cases where the Bishop has specifically granted permission for a Deacon to officiate at such a service.

8. Deacons serving in congregations are not compensated for their time,

unless they have a particular salaried role for which any person in that

position would be compensated (for example, Christian Education Director, Church Secretary, etc.), or by special permission of the Bishop. Other compensation agreements between a deacon and a congregation (for example, medical coverage) are permissible only when authorized by the Bishop.

9. Congregations are expected to reimburse Deacons for expenses incurred in the normal course of their ministries (for example, mileage, telephone, postage). Congregations are also expected to assist, to the greatest extent possible, in the cost of continuing education for their Deacons.

10. Deacons, whose ministries constitute a "bridge" between the church and the world, will normally exercise ministry in both congregational and extra-congregational settings. Supervising Priests will be sensitive to the time constraints posed by this vision of bridge ministry in assigning tasks to Deacons.

11. Deacons who hold non-church related employment or office will take care that their responsibilities are not inappropriately confused or commingled with their ecclesiastical authority. For example, a Deacon who is also a school teacher will serve in that capacity in the same manner as a teacher who is not an ordained minister.

12. In accordance with National Canon III.6.10, no Deacon may seek to be ordained to the Priesthood without entering into a new discernment process and complying with Canon III.7 in its entirety.

13. Deacons are expected, insofar as circumstances permit, to engage in continuing education and to participate in all activities of the Deacons' Community in the Diocese of Maine. Deacons will be available to serve as mentors to people in the ordination process for the Diaconate, and will participate in the discernment and formation of Deacons. All Deacons are responsible for helping the clergy and people of the Diocese of Maine to learn about the ministry of a Deacon as a "Full and Equal Order" of ministry within the Body of Christ.

14. In accordance with National Canon III.6.9b, no Deacon may be transferred or licensed to serve in another diocese without the permission of the Bishop of Maine and the Bishop and Standing Committee of the relevant diocese.

15. These policies and understandings apply equally to Deacons who have been or will be ordained under National Canon III.9.

16. The Bishop may appoint a Deacon to serve in an ecumenical setting for a defined period of time, providing that the Deacon also hold a simultaneous appointment to an Episcopal congregation.

17. It is vital that Deacons fully support and affirm the ministries of all baptized persons. Deacons shall seek to nurture and support the ministries of all persons, taking care that their diaconal ministry does not pre-empt the ministry of lay persons in the congregations they serve.

18. In all cases of dispute or controversy regarding the ministry of a Deacon, the Bishop shall be the final arbiter.

19. In accordance with Diocesan Canon 10, the Bishop shall, with the advice of the Deacons' Community, appoint one or more Archdeacons, who shall be Deacons. The Archdeacons shall share with the Bishop in the pastoral care, formation and oversight of Deacons in the Diocese of Maine.

20. These policies and understandings may be amended by the Bishop in consultation with the Standing Committee, Archdeacons, and Committee on Holy Orders.

Dated: ___________ _____________________________________

Clergy of the Sponsoring Congregation___________________________________________