Christ in All People: The Deacons of the Chapel of the Cross

Chrys Bullard

Martha A. Hart and William H. Joyner

"Go in peace to love and serve the Lord." It's not exactly a 'thou shalt,' but a lower case commandment nonetheless. Who are these people who give us marching orders to serve and then fall in step beside us? The deacons of Chapel of the Cross: Martha Hart and Bill Joyner.

Like many of us, Martha and Bill are baptized, committed to a covenant that asks, "Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?" Unlike most of us, they are ordained by the bishop, charged by the Book of Common Prayer to "serve all people, particularly the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely". Because their ministry is to take the church beyond its walls, Martha and Bill have no office space at the Chapel of the Cross. They draw no salary and they are not 'priests in training,' like David Frazelle. David is a transitional deacon who will join our staff in December of this year prior to being ordained priest in 2005. Martha and Bill reached the pinnacle of their ecclesiastical careers by each becoming what the North American Association for the Diaconate calls a "servant leader, witness, intercessor, facilitator, visionary, nurturer, and interpreter among diverse people" - many hats frequently worn all at once.

In the liturgy, Martha and Bill enact the deacon's role as servant and intercessor by reading the gospel, preparing the altar, receiving the offering, administering the bread or chalice, and giving the dismissal, among other tasks. With parishioners, they may become facilitator, visionary, and nurturer as they encourage us to respond to the needs of others: Martha Hart is an integral part of the Social Ministry Committee, for example. Out in the world, our deacons are the face of the Chapel of the Cross, interpreting our parish to those around us. In the special service with people with developmental disabilities held on the third Monday of each month, Bill Joyner is affectionately referred to as "Deacon Bill." The cuff of his pin-striped shirt from his day job at IBM peeks out from the sleeve of his alb as he dances to "Pharaoh, Pharaoh," sung to the tune of "Louie, Louie."

The call to the diaconate began for Martha and Bill as their professional lives aligned more closely with their faiths. A registered nurse, Martha worked with home care and hospice patients. "Walking the journey with dying patients triggered something within me because it is a sacred and holy time," she said. Bill worked in government and politics. "It seemed that the church needed . . . more people who could work in the world to put the teachings of the gospel into actual practice," he said.

To do so much for so many, how do Martha and Bill renew their own spiritual resources?

I found out firsthand. When my family and I attended the "Special Service," it was the end of a long day. We grabbed dinner on the run, arrived in the sanctuary about 10 minutes late, and slid into a pew with a sigh of relief. By the time we left, we had not only caught our breath, we were exhilarated to have been part of such an enriching experience.

"Ministry is a two-way street," Martha explained. "It's giving and receiving."

For all Martha and Bill give to Chapel of the Cross, we say, "Thanks be to God."