- FAQS
- When will the LDA begin training men?
The LDA is now accepting applications for the pilot group of men to begin diaconal preparation in February of 2012. The next class of men will be accepted in the spring of 2013.
Have men been in diaconal ministry before?
The call to diaconal ministry is not gender specific. In the New Testament, both women and men were set apart by the chuch for service. Diaconal ministry is a call to Word and service and can be paired with any vocation.
How will the deaconess education and formation program change?
The seminars currently include men as presenters and/or chaplains. During seminars and in formation, students – both women and men – will relate to each other as colleagues and equals in diaconal ministry. Seminars will have many points of intersection and also include time apart for women and men to build community.
I am interested in the unique dynamics of a women only community. Will men be students with me in my diaconal program?
Many aspects of the diaconal program already include men, such as theology classes, worship, and ministry experience. Only one of the two annual Seminar options will welcome male students, preserving an all-female student Seminar opportunity.
I thought the LDA was a women's diaconate?
The LDA is now one diaconate with two complementary communities. The diaconate is made up of those people the church has set apart for public diaconal service. Deaconesses and deacons of the LDA diaconate, formed and educated in the Lutheran tradition, share the same faith, call, and values.
The LDA’s diaconal communities grow from the commitment to follow Christ’s call to service. This is a commitment we share with other diaconates around the world. Within each community, members of the diaconate seek to nurture, support and challenge each other.
How was this decision made?
For many years, the LDA Board has felt the Holy Spirit’s call to include men in diaconal ministry. A complementary male community enables the LDA to answer that call while preserving the unique dynamics of the LDC’s all-female community.
What about Pi Delta Chi?
Pi Delta Chi is the women's service sorority and will remain such to honor its history and traditions. Men will have the opportunity to create their own fraternity and create their own unique traditions.
