DIAKONIA of the Americas and Caribbean

History of DOTAC

In 1849, the first deaconesses from Europe arrived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to serve in the first Protestant hospital in America. In the next 100 years, nine deaconess organizations were formed in North America. At the organizational meeting of DIAKONIA in 1947, one of these organizations was represented.

In October of 1966, appointed representatives of Methodist and Lutheran Church in America deaconesses met in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, USA, to discuss the desire for all deaconess organizations of the United States and Canada to have a joint meeting as early as possible to become better acquainted with each other, and together to explore the desire for and the responsibilites involved in hosting DIAKONIA in North America in 1972. A meeting was set for January of 1967 with deaconess representation for the United Church of Christ, Episcopal, Methodist, United Church of Canada, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and the Lutheran Church in America. This group served as the planning committee for the first Conference of North American Deaconesses which met August 19 - 22, 1968 in Racine, Wisconsin, USA.

The second conference, June 28 - July 1, 1971, was held in Valparaiso, Indiana, USA. At this conference, "Called to Holy Obedience Now", the decision was made to change the name of the group to "North American Diakonia." Major attention was given to discussing plans for the eleventh meeting of DIAKONIA, which was held in New York City, New York, USA, June 14-21, 1972.

North American DIAKONIA hosted the 1972 DIAKONIA meeting, "Signs of the Church of Tomorrow." Some four hundred delegates, visitors, and observers from twenty countries, representing some fifty different organizations of deaconesses, poured into Riverside church in New York City for the DIAKONIA meeting.

"Diaconal Ministry Now" was the theme of the third conference, June 24-27, 1974, held in Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada. This conference requested the central committee to accept as a priority the investigation of reaching out to deaconesses in South America, Mexico, and the Carribeans.

In 1978, the name was changed to "DIAKONIA of the Americas" (DOTA) as an expression of the desire to include diaconates in South and Central America and the Caribbean.

The subsequent name change to "DIAKONIA of the Americas and Caribbean" (DOTAC) came at the conference in Kingston, Jamaica in 1989 in response to the involvement of two member groups who felt that DOTA did not fully include them.

DOTAC actively seeks information about and contact with any other groups who might become potential members.

History compiled from:
Ebert, Sister Anna, Utrecht to Bethel 1946-1975 DIAKONIA, 1975
Chapter: North American DIAKONIA
Williams, Deaconess Louise, DIAKONIA Challenge and Response
Chpt. 4 DIAKONIA in The Americas and The Caribbean