Public Worship and Aids to Devotion Committee Website

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General Assembly of Australia

Commissioning: Deaconess

#An Order for the Commissioning of a Deaconess

The setting apart of a Deaconess by the Presbytery shall take place in the context of public worship.

Appropriate Lessons are 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 2 Tim. 1:3-14

Then shall the Moderator say:

We now proceed to the setting apart of N....... as a deaconess.

Then shall the Convener of the Candidates Committee, or other member of Presbytery, present her, saying:

N....... has satisfactorily completed the course of training prescribed by the General Assembly, and is considered an appropriate person to exercise this ministry.

Then shall the Moderator say to her:

N....... in the Scriptures of the New Testament it is recorded that women ministered to our Lord Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry. The Apostle Paul acknowledged with gratitude the help he received in his labours from Christian women. From the beginning until now God has blessed his Church with the good works and lives of faithful and devoted women.

And now, as you intend to devote yourself to this service, we exhort you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to reflect on the work to which you are called. It is the work of a Deaconess to minister to the welfare of those to whom she is sent; to assist the Ministers of the Word and Sacraments; to seek, advise, and pray for those who require help in all kinds of trouble; to instruct the young, and to encourage all to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord.

I now ask you to stand and answer the appointed questions.

  1. Do you confess your faith in God as your heavenly Father, in Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord, and in the Holy Spirit as your Sanctifier?

Response: I do.

  1. Do you adhere to the doctrinal standards of the Presbyterian Church of Australia?

Response: I do.

  1. Do you promise, depending on God's grace, faithfully and prayerfully to fulfill your duties?

Response: I do.

  1. Do you promise to seek the unity and peace of the Church, and to submit to the authority of those to whom the Church has committed the direction of your work?

Response: I do.

Then shall the Moderator say:

May Almighty God bless you, and fill you with his Spirit, that you may be able to fulfill your promises, to the glory of his holy Name and the building up of his Church. Amen.

Let us pray:

Direct us by your Holy Spirit, we pray, O Lord, and assist us with your grace as in the Name of your blessed Son we set apart N....... to be a Deaconess in your Church. Bless her as she dedicates herself to your service, and give her the grace of the Holy Spirit. Grant her the ability to understand and to communicate your truth to others, teaching the young, guiding the perplexed, and leading the lost to Christ. Let your word on her lips bring good news to the weary and burdened, and comfort to those who mourn.

Help her in her work and witness; so that she may not waver from the faith but may complete her life's work with joy and finally receive the full reward in your heavenly kingdom.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer.

The Moderator shall say:

In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only King and Head of the Church, and by authority of this Presbytery, I now declare you set apart to the office of Deaconess.

I exhort you in the Name of the Lord to be faithful to your work, and may the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, rest upon you and abide with you always. Amen.

An address to the Deaconess may follow.

The Moderator shall say:

Let us pray:

Almighty God, who is the giver of all spiritual grace and the author of everlasting life; look with favour upon Your servant, N....... and grant her grace, that she may know your will and have the strength to do it; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Hymn.

The Blessing:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.