Deacon-Doula ‘Dual’ Call

I recently experienced my first birth since being ordained as a deacon.

It may sound laughable to some, but as I packed my bag and prepared to accompany this mother through labour, I felt a quiet but clear nudge from God: Wear your collar.

Trust me- I was hesitant to obey!

But as I thought about it more, I realised God was helping me to use the symbol to STEP FULLY into the dual calling God has placed on my life: doula and deacon. Two vocations, two expressions of service, yet more intertwined than ever before.

During the long night in the hospital room, I was struck again as I prayed, by the incredible honour it is to do this work. The sacred space of childbirth is already thick with the Spirit, but somehow this time, clothed and commissioned, I could feel the threads weaving even tighter between heaven and earth.

The mama I was supporting had experienced trauma in her past and faced a difficult previous birth. But this time, she dug sooo deep. She fought, she surrendered, she soared. And she achieved the VBAC she dreamed of! And when she spoke afterwards giving God the glory for the strength she found—well, I had no doubt at all: we had witnessed a miracle. God was tangibly present in that room.

This wasn’t just a birth. It was resurrection, redemption, and fierce, beautiful grace. 

Since ordination, I’ve been discovering how much my work as a doula and my calling as a deacon speak into each other. Both are about accompaniment. Both call for deep listening, serving, patience, presence, and the willingness to hold space for transformation. Both demand humility and reverence. Both keep pulling me beyond the edges of what I thought I could do.

That day (and night!) I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be. Not just as a doula. Not just as a deacon. But as both—serving the God who brings life in all its fullness.

What an honour. What a privilege. What a God.