Bishop Budde names Von Rautenkranz Archdeacon

by | Mar 3, 2016

The Rev. Sue von Rautenkranz has accepted Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s invitation to serve in the newly-created position of Archdeacon of the Diocese of Washington. In this role, von Rautenkranz, a deacon and Christian Formation coordinator at St. Dunstan’s in Bethesda, will oversee the discernment, formation, and deployment process for deacons in the diocese, and serve as leader and convener of deacons in the diocese.

“In the last few years, we have taken significant strides to create an organized and intentional diaconal ministry in the diocese,” Budde said. “I am thrilled that Sue is willing to guide this new ministry, and I have great confidence in her abilities to lead with both passion and sensitivity.”

Von Rautenkranz has served parishes in Minnesota and South Carolina as well as St. Dunstan’s during her 23 years of ordained ministry. “I’m excited about the amazing people who feel called to this ministry, and the gifts they bring,” she said. “I believe they can transform the diocese and help us to become a people who are in ministry with and to the world around us.”

There are 16 postulants to the diaconate currently pursuing their education and formation. Their callings include work among the elderly, in education, prison ministry and in multicultural and international settings. When ordained, they will serve in a variety of contexts across the newly established regions of the diocese.

“The work of the Commission on Ministry and the Deacon’s Working Group has been extraordinary, and the response from the diocese from those who feel called to the deacon’s ministry has moved me to tears,” Budde said. “I feel as if the Spirit is moving in among us in powerful ways.”