Deacons, even those impatient to be priests, may be required by their bishop to spend longer than one year in the diaconate, \u201cin order to live more fully into that calling\u201d\u009d, if the General Synod welcomes a new report from the Church of England\u2019s Faith and Order Advisory Group.<\/p>\n
It could also lead to some Readers\u2019 being encouraged to test their vocations as deacons. \u201cA pro-active discernment of the vocation of some Readers, by bishops and diocesan staff, could lead to a significant harvest of ordinands, especially for the distinctive diaconate,\u201d\u009d the group finds.<\/p>\n
Some Readers are experiencing a crisis of morale, says the report, The Mission and Ministry of the Whole Church. They feel squeezed between the clergy and \u201cthe upsurge of expressions of lay ministry\u201d\u009d. Although some Readers would see the ministry of distinctive deacons as too close to their own for comfort, the group would prefer to see suitable Readers prepared for the diaconate rather than enlarge the duties attached to the office of Reader.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor some, diaconal ministry would be an ongoing commitment: their ministry would find its fulfilment in the distinctive diaconate. For others, the diaconate would lead, perhaps after a period of several years, to ordination to the presbyterate,\u201d\u009d it says.<\/p>\n