Original Documents

On this page are primary documents related to Deaconess history and context. Please note that photographs can be found under the PICTURES tab. Scholarly papers are under the RESOURCES tab.

Primary Documents related to disjoining are under the DISJOINING Tab.

Other primary documents related to Diaconal Ministry can be found on the Diakonia of the United Church of Canada website (ducc.ca)

Deaconess Order (United Church)

Handbook of Deaconess Order
Bi-annual Deaconess Conference Minutes/Reports

Newsletters to Deaconesses
- 1927 – 1928 Newsletters from Winnifred Thomas, Secretary Cte on Employed Women Workers in the Church

Conference Deaconess Boards

Media

Centre for Christian Studies
- 1971 United Church Observer Article about Centre for Christian Studies
- 1952 United Church Observer Article about Graduating Class (photograph with names)

Ministry Status
- 1979 United Church Observer Article “Are Deaconesses Doomed” leading up to Project Ministry Report
- 1980 United Church Observer Article Report from General Council on Project Ministry

Women in the Church
- 1975 United Church Observer Article reviewing woman’s place in church 1925 to 1975

Methodist Church and Methodist School

General Conference Deaconess Committee Reports
- 1894 Journal of Proceedings of the 4th General Conference of the Methodist Church, London (pages related to Deaconesses)
- 1898 Journal of Proceedings of the 5th General Conference of the Methodist Church, Toronto (pages related to Deaconess)
- 1906 Journal of Proceedings of the 7th General Conference of the Methodist Church, Montreal (pages related to Deaconesses)
- 1914 Journal of Proceedings of the 9th General Conference of the Methodist Church, Ottawa (pages related to Deaconesses)
- 1918 Journal of Proceedings of the 10th General Conference of the Methodist Church, Hamilton (pages related to Deaconesses)
- 1922 Journal of Proceedings of the 11th General Conference of the Methodist Church, Toronto (pages related to Deaconesses)

Deaconess Appointments
- 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922 Methodist Year Book Deaconess Appointment Lists

Deaconess School and Society Reports
Theologically, women could not have two vocations, so a woman exercising the primary one of wife and mother could not be a Deaconess. There was no open discussion of nonheterosexual relationships. From The Beaconess, 1959 UCTS Student Yearbook.
- 1904-1905 11th Annual Report of Toronto Deaconess Home and Training School and Deaconess Society. This is a scan from a photocopy (and poor quality) from the United Church, Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario Archives. An original copy is in the United Church General Council Archives.
- 1905-1906 12th Annual Report of Toronto Deaconess Home and Training School and Deaconess Society. This is a scan from a photocopy (and poor quality) from the United Church, Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario Archives. An original copy is in the United Church General Council Archives.