United Lutheran Church in America Lutheran Deaconess Motherhouse and Training School, Baltimore, Maryland

See also ULCA 61 Administrative History.

The office of Directing Sister for the Lutheran Deaconess Motherhouse and Training School, Baltimore, Maryland, (BMD) was a position elected by the Board of Deaconess Work (BDW) of the General Synod and later United Lutheran Church in America (ULCA). She was chosen from among those deaconesses who lived and worked at the motherhouse. As part of the leadership of the motherhouse, the directing sister had as her primary responsibility to manage the internal affairs of the house, as well as supervise the conduct and work of the deaconesses. She kept a daily record of activities of the motherhouse and presented a report to the motherhouse executive committee. After 1917, she added to her duties chairing meetings of the Sisters' Council. In addition to management of the motherhouse, the directing sister also assigned duties to those sisters working at the motherhouse and consulted with the other motherhouse leadership in assigning duties to deaconesses in the field. If the pastor or other motherhouse leadership was not in residence, the directing sister had full authority over the motherhouse. BMD directing sisters included:

Sister Augusta Schaffer, 1895-1898

Sister Jennie Christ, 1898-1903

Sister Sophia Jepson, 1903-1932

Sister Martha Hansen, 1932-1957

Sister Anna Melville, 1957-1962