by The Rev. William L. Hurst, Jr. - Assistant to the Bishop
for Ecumenical and Diaconal Ministries
Metropolitan New York Synod

There have been and are a considerable number of Lutheran people in the New York Metropolitan area involved in diaconal ministries of various kinds, both before and since the formation of the Metropolitan New York Synod of the ELCA on January 1, 1988. They have included former ALC and LCA deaconesses, Lutheran Deaconess Association members, former AELC deacons and Lutheran School teachers, deacons consecrated under the auspices of local congregations, as well as persons of other ministerial groupings. While there has been general support within the Metropolitan New York Synod for these ministries, nothing has been provided within the synod to offer specific structure and direction for persons so engaged. Many of these ministries have developed without official recognition, guidance, coordination, and leadership in areas such as preparatory and educational standards or requirements, ministerial responsibilities, and mutual support and collegiality.

At the June 1993 Assembly of the Metropolitan New York Synod it was resolved to

• Form a diaconal support group within the existing structure of the Leadership Support Committee;
• Initiate a consultation of diaconal ministers in the synod, facilitated by a synod staff member appointed by the Bishop, embracing all current diaconal ministries in the synod;
• Utilize the results of this consultation to form the basis of a set of synodical guidelines for diaconal ministry, preparation of which to be supervised by the appointed staff member, and shared with all congregations and agencies of the synod;
• Present at the next Synod Assembly (June 1994) a set of recommendations covering these guidelines.

The aforementioned consultation was held and passed on January 15, 1994, in Douglaston, New York, organized by the appointed staff member, Rev. Dr. Stephen Bouman.