The Deaconess Community of the ELCA, compelled by the love of Christ and sustained by community, recognizes and affirms the beauty of the diversity of God’s image reflected in humanity. We seek to be a community of women that is diverse in age and body type, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicity and race, sexual orientation, ministerial passions, and our creative ideas about how to change the world.

In the richness of diversity, we are unified in our commitment to work for justice and flourishing of all God’s creation. Our world can be one of alienation and brokenness. Christ calls us to be agents of healing and reconciliation, making us one. We better proclaim the Gospel and better serve our world when we are whole; we, therefore, are becoming a community that lifts up safety and celebration of a sisterhood for cis- and trans- women together.

The Deaconess Community of the ELCA commits

to wholly serve all people, without exceptions;

to the continued work of education and living into our guiding principle of radical welcome;

to consistently choose to become a safe space for our staff, board, all sisters and candidates who share this call, and all whom we serve.

Deaconess Community of the ELCA Assembly August 2023