This book presents a rich and insightful look at the deaconess vocation and its blessing to the LCMS. Utilizing primary sources to document the inspiring story of the deaconess movement within the LCMS, it fills a significant gap in the annals of synodical history. Collected in this one volume is a record of events as well as the thoughts and actions of deaconesses during every era of the Synod's history.

Excerpt from History of the Deaconess Movement in the Christian Church When we consider the fact that at least one hundred and forty Deaconess Institutions (inclusive of the various branch Homes) have been founded within the last fifteen years in the United States alone, ninety of which are controlled by the Methodist Episcopal Church, and that the number of deaconesses has increased during this period to over eighteen hundred, it is clear that a presentation of the historical development of this promising and rapidly-growing movement has become a matter of necessity. I had hoped that a more capable pen would take up the task; but as year after year slipped by without an attempt in this direction, I concluded that I ought to comply with the desire of the Central Deaconess Board of the German Methodist Conferences, and the request of a number of friends of the cause, and therefore have undertaken to write this volume. Ten or twelve years ago several valuable books on the Deaconess Cause appeared in this country, namely: "Deaconesses in Europe and America," by Jane M. Bancroft Robinson, Ph. D., (1890); "Deaconesses, Biblical, Early Church, European, American," by Lucy Rider Meyer (1889); "Deaconesses, Ancient and Modern," by Rev. Henry Wheeler (1889); "The Deaconess and her Vocation," by Bishop J. M. Thoburn (1893). About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903 edition. Excerpt: ...Bishop Thoburn began to advocate the Deaconess Cause, and Mrs. Lucy Rider Meyer threw the weight of her powerful personality into the scales, it did not prove difficult to inaugurate the movement, which was to take a powerful hold on the Church in a comparatively short space of time. In 1886, Dr. J. M. Thoburn (at present Bishop Thoburn), who had been sent to India in 1859, and who is beyond question one of our greatest missionaries, returned to America to restore his health. The voyage proved to be of historic significance. The misery of women in India was uppermost in his mind during the trip, and, after much prayer, the thought came to him that the introduction of the Deaconess Work might bring the desired relief. Millions of the women of India are debarred from participating in the sacrament of the communion, and this deplorable state of affairs will necessarily continue until one of their own sex can administer this sacrament. Whenever the Mission Conferences in India convene, this matter is usually discussed, and the question has often been asked whether it be possible to revive the Deaconess Order of the primitive Church, and thus to create an office which would empower the female missionaries to administer the holy communion to the Zenana women, who are kept in such strict seclusion that missionaries are not allowed to approach them for that purpose. If in the primitive Church laymen (e. g., midwives) were permitted to administer baptism in case of urgency, why should female missionaries be prohibited from administering baptism to Zenana women who have been prepared for admission into the Church, and desire to be baptized? And if baptism is admissible under such circumstances, why not also communion? Dr. Thoburn declared that he...