The Office of Deacon in the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe: A historical perspective

Abstract

A deacon is generally considered to be a member of the diaconate. This relates to an office in most Christian churches that is associated with some type of service offered, but the latter varies among denominations. The word deacon emanates from the Greek word diákonos which means a servant, minister, or envoy. The office of deacon was initiated in the selection of seven men by the apostles of Jesus, among whom was Stephen the proto-deacon. Their role was to assist with charitable works in the early church as it has been recorded in Acts chapter 6. This article deals with the office of the deacon and investigates it in the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe from a historical perspective. There are four offices of Church government in the Reformed/Presbyterian system. These are the office of the minister of the Word, Professors of Theological School, elder and the deacon. The study holds that the office of the deacon plays an important role in the administration of finances in the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe. The aim of this study is to relate and re-evaluate the history of the office of the deacon from the establishment of the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe to date. The research contributes to the on going gathering and production of historical data of the history of the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe.