Amanda Mumm is a deaconess at Immanuel Lutheran in Twin Falls, Idaho. She also serves as the regional coordinator for deaconesses in the Northwest.
Are you, or a woman you know, interested in serving the Lord in His Church? A lesser-known vocation is that of a deaconess. You may be asking, “What is a deaconess, and what does she do?” A deaconess is a woman who is theologically trained to serve the Lord and His people by teaching the faith, providing spiritual care, and serving through acts of mercy. Often, she is the one making visits to homebound members, leading women’s Bible studies, teaching Sunday School, leading or serving with the Altar Guild, and perhaps helping a congregation establish an Alms Ministry. She may also be musically gifted and serve as organist, pianist, choir director, and the like.
In my own case, in addition to or in place of a couple of these things, I am the youth group leader; I have previously started and led a young adult group and a family ministry group; and I make regular classroom visits to our school and daycare to teach Lutheran theology at age-appropriate levels. A year ago, I started a group called the Deaconess Tea Girls for the ladies of our youth group, and our time together allows me to share more about diaconal ministry; we pray the Deaconess Litany, have a Bible study, color, visit, and, yes, drink tea! I also enjoy writing, so I can often be found writing and researching as I prep lessons and work on new studies and devotions.
I am especially passionate about better postpartum care, and I wrote my master’s thesis on this topic, so my research and expertise in this area have served me well as I continue to be intentional with new moms, first-time moms, and seasoned moms. It is never too late to visit and unpack the trauma that has been experienced and reorient our eyes upon Christ and His mercy for us. As the deaconess, I have the pleasure of being able to join forces with a mom, as she is willing, and walk with her through this life, being a listening ear and serving as the hands and feet of Christ, having opportunities to speak His truth into her personal, unique situation. It is a joy and a privilege to serve in this way!
I have had the blessing of serving at Immanuel Lutheran ever since my deaconess internship in 2015. I attended and graduated from Concordia University Chicago (CUC), whose deaconess program, established in 1980, is the original such program in the LCMS; CUC remains the only Concordia with a full undergraduate deaconess program. It is a five-year program: four years of study, including two years of fieldwork, followed by a one-year internship, and mine brought me to Twin Falls, Idaho. Upon my graduation from CUC, I received a Call to stay on at Immanuel. It has been a truly fantastic and blessed 11 years so far. I met my husband here — he grew up in the congregation — and we have been blessed with three children. One beat us to heaven, and Meryl and Michael are here with us. It is extra fun to have them go through our school and for me to make classroom visits to their classes now, too.
In October 2025, I was asked by the Concordia Deaconess Conference (CDC), a Recognized Service Organization (RSO) of the LCMS, to serve as a regional coordinator for deaconesses in the Northwest. At our annual conference in June 2025, a general plan was unveiled to help the membership of CDC stay in touch between conferences. This was done by forming small groups based on geographical regions. I thought this was a fantastic idea, and I was so excited to be asked to serve in this way!
The way things were divided up was just a bit different from how the NOW District organizes us; for example, I have ladies from California and Nevada in our group. In total, right now, we are a group of nine. We meet most months on Zoom for a time of prayer, study, and catching up. As I said above, I also enjoy writing, so this summer I sent a letter (yes, in the mail) to each sister — because why not! We are currently reading Brian William Thomas’ book, “Clothed with Christ: A Biblical Style Guide for Sinners.”
NOW District congregations: Do you want to learn more about deaconess ministry? Reach out by email. I am always happy to visit about this, and I enjoy traveling and teaching. I’d be glad to speak and help share what a deaconess can do for your ministry. May I also ask for your prayers that the Lord will continue to raise up faithful women to serve in this way?
Learn more about the Concordia Deaconess Conference.
If you wish to learn more about the training programs that exist in the LCMS, please visit: