Bishop Announces Year of Discernment for Deaconess Anne House

​The Corps Members of Deaconess Anne House from 2013-2022. 

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​[St. Louis, MO – June 10, 2022] For the past 9 years, Deaconess Anne House has been a bright spot in our Diocese, offering young adults an opportunity to live and serve in an intentional community of spirituality and service in Old North St. Louis. As our four current corps members finish up a fantastic program year, leaders in the Diocese of Missouri are looking to the future. 

The Rt. Rev. Deon Johnson, Bishop of the Diocese of Missouri, and the Executive Team of the Diocese, in collaboration with the leadership of Deaconess Anne House, have determined that DAH will use the ’22-’23 program year as a time of strategic visioning, and will not host a traditional cohort of corps members during this time.

Instead, Bishop Johnson plans to use the upcoming program year to discern and refine the Episcopal Service Corps’ role in our diocese (DAH is a branch of ESC). “We are committed to the future of young adult ministry in the Diocese of Missouri,” the bishop said. “This is the perfect time to intentionally strengthen the program in our diocese and beyond.”
 
While the Diocese of Missouri will miss the experience that a cohort of corps members brings to us and to the wider communities of the Old North neighborhood and the St. Louis region, we believe this intentional time of strategic re-visioning is necessary and appropriate for Deaconess Anne House to continue to grow in its mission in a changing world. The long-term effects of the pandemic are only just beginning to be apparent and its effects on the young adults in our applicant pool are significant. We believe that we need this year to understand what this generation of young adults is seeking, and to identify how Deaconess Anne House may best serve and support them.
 
We ask that you continue to support Deaconess Anne House as we move into this discernment year with your prayers, your financial contributions, and your time. The Deaconess Anne House community is what it is because of your participation. The Diocese of Missouri will keep you informed of what is discerned and how it will affect the future of the Deaconess Anne House program.

For more information about changes, to share you stories of how DAH has impacted your life, or to suggest ideas for how DAH may adapt and evolve to meet the emerging needs of young adults today, contact:

Janis Greenbaum, Director of Communications
The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri
[email protected] / 314-651-1843