deaconess
A Christian term for a woman serving in a church role similar to a deacon. Rare in general Japanese; mainly encountered in religious contexts.
彼女は教会で奉仕女として活動している。
She serves as a deaconess at the church.
Compound of 奉仕 (service) and 女 (woman), literally 'service woman'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the Christian role of deaconess.