Good Practice in Diaconal Ministry Research Project
Information Sheet
There is increasing interest in the potential for a renewed Diaconate to enable the church to respond to the challenges and opportunities facing the church in contemporary society. However, there are also concerns about the substantial challenges for those individual ministers, churches and organisations which get involved in work of a diaconal character in the current context.
This research has been set up jointly between the Warden of the Methodist Diaconal Order, Deacon Sue Culver, and the Director of the Wesley Study Centre, Rev Dr Roger Walton, and funded by the Methodist Church. The research aims to explore the opportunities and challenges faced by Deacons in the Methodist Church in their work. The aim is to explore the issues arising for Deacons in their work, including their own understandings of their work and their experience of the dilemmas that this can raise.
The research builds on earlier doctoral work by the researcher, Andrew Orton, exploring different understandings of good practice in Christian community work. The approach being taken is based on using questions to encourage reflection and help develop our understanding of this work. The project will include some individual observations and discussions with deacons as they work, some group interviews to explore collective understandings, and some interviews with other key people whose perspectives may help the Order to reflect on their work. Andrew is a professional community worker who has experience of working with a wide range of churches, charities, and other organisations as they engage in local communities. He is a member of the Methodist Church and has also been involved in teaching deacons and community/youth workers at Durham University.
It is hoped that the research will be useful to:
(i) Individual deacons who participate, through encouraging constructively critical reflection on their own work in light of others’ experience;
(ii) For the Methodist Diaconal Order, in terms of helping to develop spaces and resources within its patterns of ministry which support the initial and ongoing development of diaconal practice;
(iii) For the Methodist Church, through facilitating an improved understanding of diaconal ministry and its place in the wider church;
(iv) For the wider church, through contributing evidence to continuing ecumenical conversations on diaconal contributions to the Body of Christ;
(v) For those with whom deacons work, through the new ideas and resources which may be generated through the participative research process.
Andrew is happy to answer any questions about the research. His contact details are:
Dr Andrew Orton, Wesley Research Fellow, Wesley Study Centre, St John’s College, Durham University. Tel. 0191 334 3898 Email: a.j.orton@durham.ac.uk
