deaconesses
Women church servants
Deaconesses is the plural of deaconess, a woman holding a formal role in certain Christian churches.
The position varies by denomination—sometimes involving ordained ministry, sometimes lay service focused on charitable work or assisting with worship.
The role dates to the early church and has been revived in various forms: The deaconesses visited the sick and distributed food to the poor.
Clergy appointment ceremony
- womenFemale adults collectively
- clergyOrdained religious officials collectively
- serviceAid or maintenance
- PhoebeFeminine name meaning radiant
pastoral · congregation · charity · mission · parish · chaplain · ecclesiastical · vestments
Second biblical division
- BiblicalOf sacred scripture
- apostolicOf the first disciples
- early churchFirst-century Christian communities
- PhoebeFeminine name meaning radiant
restoration · nineteenth century · motherhouse · Lutheran · Methodist · Anglican · sisterhoods · charitable institutions
ordination
Clergy appointment ceremony
- womenFemale adults collectively
- clergyOrdained religious officials collectively
- serviceAid or maintenance
Phoebe · pastoral · congregation · charity · mission · parish · chaplain · ecclesiastical · vestments · liturgy
New Testament
Second biblical division
- BiblicalOf sacred scripture
- apostolicOf the first disciples
- early churchFirst-century Christian communities
Phoebe · restoration · nineteenth century · motherhouse · Lutheran · Methodist · Anglican · sisterhoods · charitable institutions · nursing
- Churchwomenchurchwomen, women's ministry, women pastors, women preachers, religious sisters
- Gender Religiongender hierarchy, patriarchy, matriarchy, gender roles, gender dynamics
- holy womenabbesses, Virgin Mary, Saint Mary, Saint Anne, Saint Teresa
- nunsnun, nuns, sister, sisters, convent
- shakerssalt shaker, pepper shaker, cocktail shaker, sugar shaker, parmesan shaker
- MethodismWesley, Methodist Church, Methodist, United Methodist Church, Methodism
deaconessesbishops
High-ranking clergy members
archbishops · popes · patriarchs · priests · cardinals