Deacons
Introduction If you’ve put your trust in Christ, you are already a deacon in a broad sense diakonos is usually just a generic term for “servant” - hence the attribution to non-Christian rulers (Romans 13:4) and even demons (2 Corinthians 11:15) Deacons shoulder practical tasks so that the elders can channel their energies to the ministry of the Word and to prayer. We rob ourselves of the benefits of God’s revealed wisdom when we either unduly elevate the role of deacons (say, to de facto elders) or unduly reduce their role (say, to glorified janitors) The Backstory and the Blunders: How Deacons have functioned In the Presbyterian and Reformed tradition, deacons have always functioned mainly as mercy ministers, caring for the needy and distressed and often helping oversee the finances of the church In the Anglican communion, deacons are either “transitional”, moving toward the priesthood, or “vocational”, appointed for life; all are theologically trained and formally ordained....