In Polity, Practice & Mission of the UMC (2006 Ed.) the author states that "whether deacons and elders can really be peers in United Methodism remains to be seen. Deacons can initiate their place of employment, work part-time indefinitely, or work for no salary at all." The author continues to say that deacons' non-itinerate status and the expectation that elders work full-time creates tension. "How will these two orders work together in a particular local church, given that the elder is appointed as pastor 'in charge'?"

The answer is simple. The elder is appointed in charge and the deacon has a different role. As someone who looked at the role of a deacon once and has re-embraced this possibility, I accept that our system expects of elders their time and willingness to itinerate with the trade-off of guaranteed appointment and being in charge. I haven't formed a full opinion regarding sacramental authority and the orders. 

For me, itinerancy isn't the issue with respect to pursuing elder vs. deacon. If I felt (or feel in the future) a call to embrace the role of an elder I see itinerancy as a part of the package -- one that is largely a positive thing given an elder's work. Guaranteed appointment would be nice, and Lord knows there are underperforming and/or incompetent elders out there who should have this perk revoked, but I understand and respect this difference in elder vs. deacon, including the practicalities involved in deacons' work outside of the church structure.

I am appalled at the relative dearth of information about deacons in our denominational resources. The only books seem to date back to the creation of the order in 1996. The online resources are pitiful. The candidacy materials are scant. If you tell an elder that you plan to pursue deacon's orders, you may get a blank stare or some push back (I received a good comment, myself). Deacons themselves haven't been too chatty in the few outreach efforts I've made to gather information.

It is high time that the church pull its collective head out of the sand and realize that ministry happens in places other than the local church even as we affirm and protect the central nature of the local congregation. Elders and deacons can and should work together, recognizing and supporting the 'in charge' role of our itinerant elders while affirming and supporting the assisting role of the deacon in the local church and the equal role to elders in work outside the local church. God calls all types to ministerial work; some are called with gifts and graces to lead in the local church and others to different (perhaps more specialized roles). 

Welcome those whom God calls, I say. Together may the Kingdom of God be expressed in the world through the work of both of our ordained United Methodist orders.