MISSION
The St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess educates and prayerfully advocates for the revival of the ordained female diaconate in the Orthodox Church to meet the ministerial needs of the Church and the world today.
VISION
We live out our mission by:
Sharing the history of the female diaconate, the importance of the broader order of the diaconate male and female, the service ministries of women in the Church, and the deep need for deaconesses today through conferences, presentations, person-to-person connections, and the creation and dissemination of online and print resources.
Building relationships with our hierarchs and all clergy, seminaries, parishes and the faithful of all ages through clarity about our mission, cultivation of personal relationships, and our commitment to work of the highest caliber.
Acknowledging in humility that the Holy Spirit is at work and we are not alone in our efforts, and keeping at the forefront of our work the belief that the revival of the female diaconate will benefit the health and spiritual wellbeing of Christ’s Church and His people.
ANSWERING THE CALLS FOR DEACONESSES
The St. Phoebe Center strives to support the numerous calls within the Orthodox Church for the restoration of the female diaconate for the past one hundred years, particularly the most authoritative call issued in Rhodes, Greece, in 1988, by an inter-Orthodox consultation attended by bishops and academics of twelve of the autocephalous Churches. The conclusion issued by the consultation states: “The apostolic order of deaconesses should be revived . . . Such a revival would represent a positive response to many of the needs and demands of the contemporary world in many spheres.”
GIVING
In the spirit of the service ethos of the diaconate, the St. Phoebe Center tithes a portion of its income each year. Most of our tithe goes to our African Women’s Grant (which is also funded by your donations) and occasional gifts are given to causes aligned with our mission.
HISTORY
2023 Annual Report
“I encourage fully the work of the St. Phoebe Center. From the time work at the Center began I had the privilege of serving as an advisor and applaud the efforts to revive the diaconate for women. For those of us living in the United States where increasingly adults from many persuasions come seeking Orthodoxy, the need for such a ministry needs no supportive defense. The pandemic with the varying crises it fosters often needs the comfort and support a woman within the ranks of the clergy could provide.
Carefully, precisely, and with the love of God and His Holy Church guiding us, no question any longer exists in my mind and heart. I don’t think we should leave it to another time or group of believers to deliberate on the matter. Now is the time.”
– Archpriest Very Reverend Father Daniel Rentel
