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IDENTITY CRISES Is There a Role for Deacons in 21St Century Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches?

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IDENTITY CRISES Is There a Role for Deacons in 21St Century Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches? IDENTITY CRISES Is There a Role for Deacons in 21st Century Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches? by Perry Wayne Hanley B. B.A., University of New Brunswick, 1991 M. Div. Acadia Divinity College, 1996 Submitted to the Faculty of Theology, Acadia Divinity College, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Ministry Acadia Divinity College, Acadia University Spring Convocation 2008 © by Perry Wayne Hanley This thesis by Perry Hanley was defended successfully in an oral examination on March 26, 2008. The examining committee for this thesis was: ____________________________ Dr. Andrew D. MacRae, Chair and Director of Doctoral Studies. ____________________________ Rev. Ron Baxter, External Examiner. _____________________________ Dr. Alison Trites, External Examiner. _____________________________ Dr. Harry Gardner, Principal. _______________________________ Dr. Richard Jackson, Thesis & Ministry Supervisor. _______________________________ Dr. Craig Evans, Faculty Reader. This thesis is accepted in its present form by Acadia Divinity College as satisfying the thesis requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry. ii I, Perry Wayne Hanley, hereby grant permission to the Head Librarian at Acadia University to provide copies of this thesis, on request, on a non-profit basis. __________________ Author __________________ Supervisor __________________ Date iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my family first and foremost for the opportunity to write this dissertation. To accomplish this task while ministering full-time has been a challenge: A challenge for not just me, but also for all whom I love. Without their prayers, patience and sacrifice, this work would not have made it to print. To my wife Andrea, sons Zachary and Matthew and daughter Grace, I look forward to investing in you since you have invested so much in me. I would like to thank my ministry and thesis supervisor Dr. Richard Jackson for both his insight and encouragement. Thanks to Rev. Hugh McNally and Dr. Philip Griffin-Alwood for the use of their extensive digital libraries and archival materials. I would like to thank the church and leaders of Springhill Baptist Church for their patience and encouragement in finishing this project. Finally, and above all, I would like to thank God, “who began a good work and is carrying it out to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” iv ABSTRACT Robert E. Naylor in the opening chapter of his book, The Baptist Deacon, asks the following question; “Are deacons needed now?” Citing issues such as a changed world, misunderstood office and leadership tensions, Naylor recognized the traditional deacon - pastor model in Baptist churches is being strained and in some cases replaced. What is eye opening is that he was writing fifty years ago! In this thesis, the writer has examined the deacons’ office to its present day application. The first chapter deals with the scriptural underpinnings and principles of leadership in general, and the eldership or deaconship specifically. The second chapter examines how the Church interpreted this role up to and including the Reformation. The third chapter explores the birth of Baptist office of deacon and seeks to understand its context within Baptist culture. The fourth chapter explores the document trail that leads to the 1905/06 Statement of Union, specifying how Atlantic Baptists have interpreted the role of deacons. The fifth chapter describes the thesis project whereby three comparably sized congregations were examined in relation to a change in their diaconal or organizational structure. The sixth, seventh and eighth chapters are three case studies of different leadership models. The final chapter offers a proposed approach to how churches may wish to address the deacon’s role today. This paper utilizes the New American Standard Bible as the default translation for all Scriptures. The case studies provided the researcher with greater clarity and insight into the thought processes of the churches and their leaders as they wrestled with the deacon role and relevance. v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS General ANE Ancient Near East ca. circa, about, approximately CABC Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches Ed. Edited by, edition Eds. Editors e.g. Exempli gratia, for example et al et allii, and others etc. et cetera Ibid. Ibidem, in the same place i.e., id est, that is KJV The Holy Bible: King James Version (1611) n.d. no date n.p. no place, no publisher NASB The Holy Bible: New American Standard (1977) pp. pages TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (1964) TDOT Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (1974) TWOT Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (1980) v verse vol. volume vi TABLE OF CONTENTS APPROVAL OF THESIS …………………………………………………………………………….ii PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY……………………………………………............................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………………………………………………………………………….. iv ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………………………………v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS……………………………………………................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………………………………….vii CHAPTER 1. THE BIBLICAL UNDERPINNING OF DEACONS…..…………………….….1 CHAPTER 2. DEACONS IN HISTORY (70 AD to REFORMATION).……….…………… 38 CHAPTER 3. THE TRADITION OF THE BAPTIST DEACON….………………….………66 CHAPTER 4. THE ATLANTIC BAPTIST DEACON.………………….……………..………88 CHAPTER 5. EXAMINING MODERN CABC DEACONS..………….………...... ……….115 CHAPTER 6 CASE STUDY A – THE TRADITIONAL CHURCH………..…..................123 CHAPTER 7 CASE STUDY B – THE EFFICIENT CHURCH………………..................147 CHAPTER 8 CASE STUDY C – THE RELEVANT CHURCH………..……...................173 CHAPTER 9 THE FUTURE OF THE DIACONATE………….………….…................... 201 APPENDICES 1. Atlantic Baptist Churches………………………………………...............225 2. Church A – Perceptions of Ministry Accountability………………………226 3. Church B – Organizational Chart…………………………………………. 227 3. Church B – Perceptions of Ministry Accountability……………………… 228 4. Church C – Perceptions of Ministry Accountability……………………… 229 5. Accountability Model for Church C ………………..………………………230 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………..………….……………….. 231 vii CHAPTER TWO - DEACONS IN HISTORY (70 AD to REFORMATION) To jump immediately from the scriptural references to the current deacon construct in CABC churches would be a misinformed leap. As with every biblical office, the reality is that time builds in tradition which is either embraced or rejected by the next generation. Therefore, it is paramount to see how the diaconate has been practically interpreted over the centuries. THE GOLDEN AGE In what has been called the “Golden Age of Deacons,”128 the scant references available point to deacons as having had a vital role in the community of faith called churches. This system proved to be foundational to not only the Roman Catholic Church of today, but it also provided the framework that was in part rejected by the Reformers. Therefore, it is paramount to understand how the early post-apostolic church was organized. Plater states, “In the thirty years between Paul of Tarsus and Clement of Rome, the diaconate became established firmly in the young churches. In the second through fourth centuries, it accumulated functions and symbols that have endured to the twentieth.”129 128 James Monroe Barnett, The Diaconate: A Full and Equal Order: A Comprehensive and Critical Study of the Origin, Development, and Decline of the Diaconate in the Context (Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press International, 1983), 43. 129 Ormonde Plater, MANY SERVANTS: An Introduction to Deacons (Cowley Publications, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2004), 17. 39 WERE THE HELLENISTIC SEVEN DEACONS? As stated in the previous chapter, there is no direct mention in Acts 6 of servants as deacons. Yet, the Catholic Encyclopedia states, “according to the constant tradition of the Catholic Church, the narrative of Acts 6:1-6, which serves to introduce the account of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, describes the first institution of the office of deacon.”130 Noteworthy is the picture of the communal life of the Church in Jerusalem given in Acts. It shows that almost from the outset, the Church found it necessary to appoint those who would assist in looking after its poor.131 In essence, it was only natural. The nature of the Church of that day required the members to do what needed to be done as co-labourers with little thought of hierarchy, save Christ Himself as Lord and Saviour. In fact, to superimpose a modern concept of structure on this time would be erroneous. “The primitive Church did not think in terms of “subordination” as we do today… We do not find rank and dignity of office there, rather the subordination is one simply of authoritative leadership exercised for the welfare of the community.”132 Therefore, it is important to reiterate that there was apparently no clear model for deacons, at least defined scripturally, and the apostolic churches continued to utilize the diaconate and other leadership in accordance with tradition. This is true of all the churches, even those planted under the leadership of the apostle Paul. The argument is made that Paul’s inconsistency in vocabulary and typology means, “it is 130 The Catholic Encyclopedia, s.v. “deacons.” 131 Barnett, 28. 132 Barnett, 31. 40 reasonable to think that there was no uniform structure of offices in the Pauline churches of the early New Testament period.”133 Over the course of just a few decades, there was a deliberate maturity in church offices from instinctual to institutional. Historians say that the Didache “reflects
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