The Rev. Sharon Rubey, director of candidacy and conference relations for the United Methodist Board Higher Education and Ministry, prepares to serve Holy Communion April 23 during opening worship at the denomination's 2008 General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas.
Under the approved guidelines, to be effective in January, bishops have the authority to allow deacons to administer Holy Communion and perform baptisms based on their interpretation of a new sentence in the United Methodist "Book of Discipline" on the ministry of deacon.
The new sentence in Paragraph 328 of the "Book of Discipline" on the responsibility of the deacon reads: "For the sake of extending the mission and ministry of the church, a pastor-in-charge or district superintendent may request that the Bishop grant local sacramental authority to the deacon to administer the sacraments in the absence of an elder, within a deacon's primary appointment."
In other words, it is up to bishops' discretion whether the circumstance warrants the need for a deacon to administer the sacrament.
The new language, explained the bishops in the Nov. 2 to 7 meeting, is an attempt to take into account extraordinary missional reasons that justify exceptions to general church practice.
UM bishops note, however, that the new sentence "does not fundamentally change the sacramental privileges of the order of deacons," according to the United Methodist News Service.
The Rev. Jerome King Del Pino, the top executive of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, fears that the new sentence will be an obstacle for future implementation of provisions after an extensive study on related issues is released in 2012.
A 28-member Commission to Study Ministry is examining the theological, ecclesial and practical grounds of the church's system of lay, licensed and ordained ministry. The commission will present its findings with legislation proposal at the 2012 General Conference.
Del Pino urges the council "to take a strong minimalist approach to implementing this truly extraordinary innovation that has been introduced into our church order," so that practices can still be reversed if necessary after the study commission finishes its work.