The New Testament Deacon: The Church's Minister of Mercy (Paperback)

~ (Author) "In terms of church leadership, Acts 6 is one of the most significant passages in the New Testament and should be ranked alongside Paul's message..." (more)
Key Phrases: church order manual, prospective deacon, biblical eldership, New Testament, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Our heartfelt burden is to help deacons get out of the boardroom and building-maintenance mentality and into the people-serving mentality. Deacons, as the New testament teaches and as some of the sixteenth-century reformers discovered, are to be involved in a compassionate ministry of caring for the poor and needy.

The deacons' ministry, therefore, is one that no Christ-centered, New Testament church can afford to neglect. It's through the deacons' ministry that we make Christ's love a reality for many people. A ground-breaking study of all the biblical texts on the subject, The New Testament Deacon: Minister of Mercy will help you build a strong ministry in your church.

Product Details

• Paperback: 191 pages
• Publisher: Lewis & Roth Publishers (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0936083077
• ISBN-13: 978-0936083070
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #165,207 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great to use for a deacon's study--overstates case sometimes, July 2, 2002

By	Mark W. King "Pastor Mark" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Overall, this is a great biblical study dealing with all the passages which address deacons. Strauch stresses the importance of deacons and the need for biblically functioning deacons in any New Testament church. I recommend it for any pastor wanting to train deacons.

There are 3 criticisms that I have and anyone who uses the book should be aware of them.

1. Based on the Acts 6 passage, Strauch seems to limit the realm of the deacon to ministering to the poor and needy. It seems that the thrust of Acts 6 is the the deacons really ministered by taking some of the load off of the apostles--in this case it happened to involve ministry to the poor. In modern times, it might involve a whole range of issues that need to be done to free up the elders in a local church.

2. His decisions on when the term "deacon" ("servant") is technical or not seems to depend on preconcieved notions without much discussion.

3. His discussion of the possibility of women deacons seems weak. On one hand he stresses that deacons do not occupy positions of authority (which are reserved for elders) yet on the other seems to indicate that women should not be deacons since they indeed do have authority in the church.

Still, I think any evangelical pastor can use this work personally or in a group setting to much benefit.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Biblical deaconship explained., June 15, 2000

By	Anthony L. Faivre (Illinois - Corn Country USA) - See all my reviews

This is a good book on the scriptual history and authority of the early church deacons. Through the example of scripture, this book lays out why the early church needed deacons. Be prepared to be challenged and to examine your self in light of the biblical qualifications of deaconship.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best deacon book available, January 12, 2007

By	C. Sicks (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There are nine books about deacons on my bookshelf. This is the best of the bunch. Strauch starts at the right place--in the Book of Acts. He goes back to the foundations of the church and builds his arguments from there.

Upon this foundation, Strauch then goes on to discuss the calling and work of the deacon, how it differs from that of the elder, and what qualifies a man to serve.

Most of all, I appreciate his emphasis on mercy and service. Too often, deacons get wrapped up in the budget and the building--because those aren't as difficult as people.

But deacons are called to serve people: widows and orphans. We must love the forgotten and thereby reveal Christ's compassion to them in the midst of their hurting. This book will get your deaconate moving in that direction.