Pioneer Christian Monthly - September, 1992

Deacons: What Should They be Doing?
Daniel Meeter

I advocate the organization of our Deacons into a Canadian Deacons' Conference of the Reformed Church. I want this for several reasons. First, I want to celebrate the ministry of the Diaconate within the Reformed Church. Second, I want to strengthen and educate the Diaconate, and no one can do this better than the Deacons themselves. Third, I want the leadership of the Reformed Church to grow into the full measure of Jesus Christ's own ministry, since Jesus was Himself the first great deacon.

First, the Diaconate is an office that is coming into its own in many churches. The Roman Catholic and Anglican churches are working hard at restoring the diaconate as a distinct and honourable office. It is an office that the Reformed Church has always maintained. (Indeed, thanks to the Belgic Confession, the Reformed Church has always maintained the historic threefold pattern of ministry: pastor, elder, deacon.) The deacons in my church are hard-working and responsible. But unfortunately, too often they are treated as a glorified finance committee of the local congregation instead of an office of the whole church catholic, too often they are seen as junior elders instead of distinctive representatives of a living Jesus Christ. (I fear that the current proposal to include deacons in classis and synod will only compound this problem though the opposite is intended.)

We have maintained the office but minimized the ministry. We should know better. The Liturgy of the Reformed Church gives a beautiful description of the full ministry of this office, and it is one that we should celebrate. But we have not recognized the larger contribution of the deacons to the whole church; we have kept them isolated from each other. I see the organization of our deacons into a national conference as a big step in the recognition and celebration of the office.

Second, we need to strengthen and educate these ordained ministers called deacons. We spend years and years educating our pastoral ministers, in college and seminary, and then with continuing education. But our deacons, just as fully called by God and just as much ordained, are simply told to show up, shut up, and listen for a year. What is the full range of this ministry? Let the deacons explore it and develop it together. How do other deacons do it? Let them learn from each other. What is the "liturgical function of the deacon? How can the larger church focus its mission and coordinate its charity through the diaconate? Is the classis trying to do things that a Deacons' Conference could do better? I would love to get together with a big group of deacons from our churches to teach them and dream with them about their office.

Third, we should know better in the Reformed Church, to speak of the pastors as the "clergy" and of the elders and deacons as the "lay leadership." Both the Liturgy and the Belgic Confession give no room for this distinction. Our deacons are ordained ministers no less than the "Reverends" are, and their ministry is an extension of the ministry of Christ Himself within the church, no less than the other ministries; their office is Christ's office. So I can imagine that some deacons might say, "The diaconate is my calling. I will not serve as elder. I want to be a deacon all my life." I hope that most deacons will say, "I am off consistory now, I am a deacon out of office but still in ministry, so I will continue to exercise my ministry directly and personally, as well as in the Great Consistory and in the Deacons' Conference."

I am impressed by the All Ontario Diaconal Conference of the Christian Reformed Church. I am impressed by the RCW. I suggest that we set up an organization similar to the AODC and parallel to the RCW. Perhaps the Council of the Reformed Church in Canada could host an organizing convention, including two deacons from every congregation, inviting corresponding delegates from the AODC, the RCW and the General Programme Council of the Reformed Church. Perhaps this Convention could organize a B.C. diaconate, an Alberta/Manitoba diaconate, and two Ontario diaconates. But above all, let the decisions be up to the deacons themselves. Let them claim the full measure of their office, to the strengthening of the whole body of Christ.

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