Principles of Diaconal Ministry

This excerpt comes from the 2016 operating manual of the OPC’s Committee on Diaconal Ministries, the body that coordinates diaconal work across the denomination.

It states seven principles, each backed by lists of Scripture texts: God’s heart for the poor is the reason for the ministry, Acts 6 shows the need for diaconal leadership at local, regional, and national levels, and mercy ministry is subordinate to the ministry of the Word yet complements it, since in extreme hardship the Word can be nearly unintelligible apart from a ministry of deed.

The remaining principles set priorities and guardrails: the covenant community comes first, ministry to the world adorns the gospel, and deacons must avoid rewarding sin or creating dependency without letting the prospect of abuse stifle compassion. The brevity and the proof texts make it a usable study outline for a diaconate.