Deaconesses and Home Missioners are laywomen and laymen who are called by God to be in a lifetime relationship in The United Methodist Church for engagement with a full-time vocation in ministries of love, justice, and service. Together we form a covenant community that is rooted in Scripture, informed by history, driven by mission, ecumenical in scope, and global in outreach.

The Deaconess and Home Missioner call to ministries of love, justice, and service is defined in Paragraph 1913 of the United Methodist Book of Discipline, which states:

Deaconesses and home missioners function through diverse forms of service directed toward the world to make Jesus Christ known in the fullness of his ministry and mission, which mandate that his followers:

1. Alleviate suffering;

2. Eradicate causes of injustice and all that robs life of dignity and worth;

3. Facilitate the development of full human potential; and

4. Share in building global community through the church universal.