Category:Deaconess

Dea"con*ess, n. (Eccl.)

Defn: A female deacon; as: (a) (Primitive Ch.) One of an order of women whose duties resembled those of deacons. (b) (Ch. of Eng. and Prot. Epis. Ch.)

Defn: A woman set apart for church work by a bishop. (c) A woman chosen as a helper in church work, as among the Congregationalists.

---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

Deaconess - Romans 16:1, Romans 16:3, Romans 16:12; Philippians 4:2, Philippians 4:3; 1 Timothy 3:11; 1 Timothy 5:9, 1 Timothy 5:10; Titus 2:3, Titus 2:4). In these passages it is evident that females were then engaged in various Christian ministrations. Pliny makes mention of them also in his letter to Trajan (A.D. 110).