Welcome
We invite you to journey with us in a transformative experience of faith, learning, and service. The Diocese of California’s School for Deacons is a vibrant community where those called to servant leadership can grow into their vocation. Here in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area, we have renewed our program to meet the changing needs of today’s Church, forming deacons who can minister in a rapidly evolving world.
Our approach is holistic – blending spiritual formation, academic study, and hands-on ministry – all within a supportive, prayerful community of mentors and peers.
Our mission is to form deacons proficient in bringing the needs, hopes, and concerns of the world to the Church and in showing the Church how to serve the world.
We warmly welcome you to explore whether God is calling you to join this mission.
Discernment & Calling
Discerning a Call
Discerning a call to the diaconate is a journey of listening and discovery. It begins with a stir in the heart – perhaps you notice a pull toward serving those in need, or you’ve heard friends and mentors suggest you might have gifts for ministry. You might feel an inner restlessness, as though God has something “more” in mind for you. Such feelings can be signs of a diaconal calling. Importantly, discernment is not just a one-time decision; it’s a prayerful, ongoing process of seeking God’s will.
Day of Discernment
In the Diocese of California, we support you from the very start. We offer an annual “Day of Discernment” to help aspiring deacons and priests explore their call in community. At this workshop, you’ll learn what discernment involves, hear about the needs of the Church and world, and get an overview of the path toward Holy Orders. Throughout your discernment, you’ll be guided by clergy and lay mentors – people who will pray with you, ask thoughtful questions, and help you clarify how and where God may be calling you to serve.
Pray & Talk
If you are feeling that pull toward serving Christ and the Church in new ways, take heart. Pray, talk with your parish priest, and consider reaching out to us. We are here to answer questions and walk with you as you discern this exciting call.
Get in Touch
Have questions? Drop us a line and we’ll be in touch soon
“The School for Deacons prepared me for a porous vocation that moves between the church and the world.”
Rev. Rebekah Hays Estera, Deacon
Life as a Deacon in the Diocese of California
What does it look like to live out the calling of a deacon here in the Diocese of California?
Bridge Building
A deacon serves directly under the bishop and is charged to “interpret to the Church the needs, concerns and hopes of the world” – and to help the Church respond. This means that our deacons are out in the community, identifying where love, justice, and mercy are needed, and then bringing that knowledge back to inspire the Church’s action. In our diocese, you will see deacons in many different settings. Some deacons serve in parishes, coordinating outreach ministries like food programs, shelter initiatives, or youth mentorship. Others work in hospitals, prisons, or on the streets, offering Christ’s presence in places of suffering and need. You might find a deacon leading a prayer vigil for climate justice, advocating for affordable housing at a city meeting, or organizing interfaith efforts to aid immigrants and refugees. Deacons often have one foot in the church and one foot in the wider community – they help the worshipping congregation see the needs outside its walls and then send the faithful out to love and serve in Christ’s name.
Living the Gospel
Life as a deacon is profoundly rewarding. Deacons have the unique privilege of proclaiming the Gospel in the liturgy, setting the table at Eucharist, and dismissing the congregation to go in peace to love and serve the Lord. These symbolic actions in worship remind all of us that service is at the heart of our faith. But the work of a deacon does not stay within the church building – it flows out into daily life. Whether it is visiting an elderly shut-in, standing alongside the unhoused, or mentoring youth in need of guidance, a deacon’s ministry takes many forms. As one ordination charge from our tradition beautifully says, “at all times, your life and teaching are to show Christ’s people that in serving the helpless they are serving Christ himself”. Our deacons in the Diocese of California live this out every day. They are beloved in their congregations and communities, known not for pointing to themselves, but for pointing the Church toward those who hunger, hurt, or are overlooked.
Community
If you become a deacon, you will join a collegial community that meets regularly for mutual support and continuing education. The Diocese of California is enriched by its deacons – we currently have deacons serving in urban, suburban, and rural contexts across the Bay Area. Each brings their own passions and gifts, whether it’s a ministry of compassion (like pastoral care or chaplaincy) or justice (like advocacy and community organizing). Yet all share a common identity as icons of Christ’s servanthood among us. As a deacon, you will find a life of meaning, purpose, and ever-deepening faith. No two days are the same, but every day you’ll have opportunities to make Christ’s love tangible in the world.