"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ," wrote St. Paul to the saints in Galatia (Gal 6:2). He was calling them to bear witness to the Christ who was in them by showing mercy and compassion to those in need. Jesus taught his disciples that a lively confession of the faith must always be accompanied by a life of charity and forgiveness.

Concordia Theological Seminary was founded in 1846 by pastors in order to share the precious Gospel of Christ as biblically and historically confessed by the Lutheran Church. One of those pastors, Pastor Wilhelm Loehe of Neuendettalsau, Bavaria, Germany, was committed to the training of deaconesses for service in the church as a part of the seminary’s mission. In Germany, Loehe supported a thriving group of deaconesses devoted to providing acts of mercy and charity to those broken by sickness and sin. When the seminary began its deaconess program in the fall of 2003, it was simply continuing a tradition begun by Pastor Loehe over 150 years ago.

While the role of a deaconess finds expression in diverse settings and specializations, her service always involves sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of human care. Whether in a congregation, in an institution, or on the mission field, she brings a uniquely feminine care, perceiving need and responding with gentle helpfulness, expressing the compassion of Christ in a tender, nurturing way. Serving alongside the pastor, she attends to those in need and dwells with them. Using her skillful capability and theological training, she embodies Christ's incarnational care in the midst of suffering.

A deaconess is a woman engaged in a rigorous program of theological study that provides the foundation for the charitable life. She is supportive of the church’s public confession, and gives herself to acts of mercy and compassion. These acts of charity are as varied as the women themselves. They involve human and spiritual care, including aspects of nursing/medical care, administrative responsibilities, instruction in the faith, mission work, care for the weak and impoverished, care for women and children in need, or any number of vocations needed for the church’s life.

Jesus calls us to a life of charity when he tells us to "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful" (Lk 6:36). The deaconess program is a portal through which women may step into consecrated service of Christ and His church, providing acts of mercy through various vocations and tasks that serve the most needy in our midst.

Admission to the deaconesses program involves application to the Master of Arts program. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. To receive a Masters of Arts degree, the student must complete 48 hours in theological and diaconal studies, and in some cases, an additional 24 electives hours in both theology and human care. The student will serve in a fieldwork congregation during her studies at the seminary and a year’s internship in a congregation or institution after her coursework is completed. Placement in a congregation, an institution, or in the mission field takes place through the LCMS Council of Presidents.