In the United Methodist Church, deacons are ordained by a bishop to serve a lifetime of ministry. Their role is to lead the church in relating Christians to their ministries in the world their worship, preaching, teaching, nurturing spiritual vitality and leading ministries of service, love, and justice. Sometimes, deacons work primarily in congregations. Other times, they work primarily in settings like hospitals, social-service agencies, schools and counseling centers. At our most recent General Conference, legislation was passed granting authority to deacons to preside at the sacraments—both baptism and communion—in their ministry setting. Today, we’re in conversation with three clergy members in our conference to learn more about the role of deacons, explore how the church is connecting to the world today, and talk about the impact of this recent General Conference legislation.

The church is not the building! And yet, many communities of faith find themselves navigating the burdens and celebrating the gifts of caring for sacred spaces. In this episode, we’re in conversation with church leaders who are learning to use their church buildings in new ways as an asset in their ministry. We’ll also learn about new resources available to churches within our conference so that they too can explore how to leverage their building for ministry.

We are starting season two with a one-on-one conversation with the new episcopal leader of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference, Bishop David Graves. Bishop Graves’ passion is sharing Jesus, seeing the overlooked, joining God in transforming lives, and changing the world one person at a time. His study of leadership permeates all his work as a pastor, district superintendent, and bishop. Join us as we get to know Bishop David Graves!