Source: Public Orthodoxy
by Varvara Gulina
Doctoral Student at the University of California San Diego

Churches are some of the most common places where abuse occurs. Patriarchal structures, lack of resources, community norms that ascribe higher status to men and lower status to women, pregnancy, and traditional gender norms and inequality, all increase the risk of a woman becoming a victim of spiritual, interpersonal, and sexual violence.
Impacts of violence against women include:
- Miscarriages and other adverse pregnancy outcomes such as stillbirths, low birth weight babies, early deliveries, complications, etc.
- Children becoming vicariously traumatized through violent experiences of parents (a child is more likely to become a victim or a perpetrator)
- Complex PTSD that makes returning to church painful
- Long-term spiritual trauma
- Women leaving the Orthodox Church
As part of a woman-to-woman ministry, the female diaconate can serve abuse victims effectively by offering a healing presence and compassionate counsel. Deaconesses can be trained in issues such as abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and religious trauma—and, in turn, help educate the Church while facilitating proper community response and healing.
Additionally, deaconesses can serve as mediators between male clergy and women parishioners, lowering chances of clergy abuse, as well as false accusations. Having a deaconess in the room during spiritual counseling, home visitations, or even confession would reduce these risks and minimize the likelihood of potential civil or even criminal cases. Furthermore, assigning a trained deaconess to the sanctuary to oversee and assist child servers, for example, would also minimize risk of child abuse.
Women often seek guidance from priests on relationship matters, as they perceive them as trusted figures of authority. They may also seek monastics for counsel. But while clergy and monastics have nuggets of wisdom to share, they do not always have the theological, pastoral, or clinical training needed to effectively engage with someone at risk of or experiencing abuse. Moreover, monastics are not always accountable to Church leadership. A deaconess would be both accountable to the Church and hold the Church accountable.
When the Church responds poorly to women’s experiences, they are forced to seek help outside the Church, often sacrificing their spiritual care. A secular female social worker may not have the discernment of the Holy Spirit, but a monastic or priest may not have specialized training that it takes to support women effectively. A deaconess would bridge that gap by being both spiritually grounded and educated in proper abuse response and trauma related topics. She would have the gift of the Holy Spirit to properly counsel and guide women, while also connecting them to external resources and support.
Official ordination would ensure that deaconesses are visible to women in need, granting them the authority to minister, and significantly reducing the risk of re-victimization within the Church. Ordained deaconesses could also administer sacraments to those unable to receive them from male clergy due to past traumas, providing them with critically needed healing.
We have within the ordained ministry of the Church the existence of a ministry—no longer active, but still valid—the female diaconate. This is a ministry that clearly speaks to the need for a woman’s hands to reach and touch in places and times when a man’s hands would be inappropriate and unfitting.
“As an Orthodox Christian Woman, I shouldn’t have to feel like I have to go to Saddleback Church in order to get my needs met”
– Anonymous Orthodox Survivor.
1 Comment
I’ve responded here:
http://nevskireview.squarespace.com/blog/2025/5/28/public-orthodoxy-how-will-the-female-diaconate-help-prevent.html