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Synod to Get Overture on Deacons

Karl Westerhof
April 5, 2010, 11:42 am | 1 comments

Deacons as agents of transformation in church and society! This overture to Synod continues an excellent dialog!

The overture from Classis Grandville is asking Synod to create a task force to look hard at the ways the office of deacon could be made stronger and more strategic for congregational ministry. The Classis is asking that the task force rewrite the articles of the church order in ways that would allow churches and classes to restructure diaconal ministry in ways that could:

better engage with the community

better match gifts and roles

offer more leadership in the congregation

allow for more continuity of tenure

open possibilities for deacons to be seated at major assemblies.

You can read it yourself in the Agenda for Synod 2010, page 680 or thereabouts.

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Jeff Brower on Tue, 04/06/2010 - 12:41pm

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Karl, Yes! Once more into the breach! I've been thinking about deacons with my thesis for the last couple of years with this...did you know that already almost 100 years ago William Heyns thought that they should be delegated to the broader assemblies? People have been convinced of the wisdom of delegating deacons for decades...since 1967 this has been brought up in overture after overture, but has been voted down because it was not in line with "traditional" understandings of the diaconate. But I'm convinced that taking a fresh look at the office of deacon is critical in our emerging missional era. Hopefully others will be as well. Thanks for pointing it out!