I've been in churches where there are elders and deacons. I've also been in churches where the deacons take the role of elders. Which is the Biblical pattern, or does it matter?
In this excellent installment of the 9Marks series, Matt Smethurst challenges churches to realize that deacons serving their role well can strengthen a church. He also is good at realizing how some less than ideal patterns exist and how to work around those issues.
One Amazon reviewer criticized this little book for being too long, and criticized Smethurst's informality and approach. I could not disagree with that reviewer more. This may not be the most scholarly book written on the subject, but it's not written for solely the scholarly. I enjoy his sense of humor, such as his list of prospective deacons (including Veto Vinnie). The part that moved me the most was chapter 5, which gives several stories about what effective serving (that is, deaconing) looks like.
In conservative circles, some question whether women should serve as deacons. Smethurst wisely saves this as an appendix, and does an excellent job dealing with it. In fact, he changed my mind on the subject.
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