Book Review: The Deacon by Cornelis Van Dam

Cornelis Van dam has blessed the Church with his book, The Deacon. Wonderfully written, easy to read, instructive, forceful, and Biblical, this work, I would suggest, is not just for deacons. Laymen may gain much insight into their duties and obligations in their local congregations and be able to do so with joy. 

Cornelis Van Dam is emeritus professor of Old Testament at Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Ontario and has several years of pastoral ministry. His style in this work is easy to read with a well developed foundation. One penetrating point he makes clear and is repeated throughout the book is that the work of the deacon is that for those suffering may "remain in the joy of the Lord, free from all bondage (cf. Lev. 25:39-46)." This point is hammered home numerous times. Indeed, he writes very little about any other duties a deacon may have such as building care, etc. His entire thrust is to care for those who need it. It is difficult to disagree with him anywhere in this book.

What the reader gets

Table of Contents:
Preface
Introduction
Part 1 - The Old Testament Background
1. The Poor in Israel
2. Providing for the Poor
Part 2 - New Testament Times
3. Christ's Teaching on the Poor and Needy
4. Ministering to the Poor in Acts 6
5. The Office of Deacon
6. Female Deacon?
Part 3 - The Office of Deacon in the History of the Church
7. The Testimony of the Early Church and the Heritage of the Reformation
8. Women and the Diaconate 
Part 4 - The Current Functioning of the Office
9. The Official Position of the Deacon Today
10. Enabling and Prioritizing
11. The Diaconal Ministry within the Congregation
12. The Diaconal Ministry outside the Congregation
13. The Blessing of the Poor 
Questions for Study and Reflection
Resources for Further Study on Deacons

As you can see from the table of contents, Van Dam walks the reader through the history of Israel and the Church in the care of those who need it. This help is not restricted to monetary or material care, either. Diaconal ministry goes well beyond that.  Is there a place for female deacons? What was there place in the history of the church? What does the Bible have to say? Van Dam covers these controversial questions.

As a deacon myself, I have a few take-aways.  As Van Dam makes quite clear, deacons need to be involved in the lives of those who are entrusted to their care. One strategy is home visits. These visits are not like an elder visit although there may be some crossover. It is simply a matter getting to know those folks who may need diaconal help one day. Another take-away is keeping in mind that giving care to those in the congregation should never be limited to something such as monetary assistance. It is far greater than deciding who gets help paying their electric bill. Is there someone in the congregation who just lost a loved one, who just found out she has cancer, or who has a rebellious child. The list is endless and the deacons can help in so many ways. 

Yet another take-away is how all of this work does not and should not be limited to the deacons. Members of the congregation often have many skills that can lovingly assist others. These works of love and kindness should not be left up to the deacons alone.

I would suggest any deacon or layman would benefit from reading this book. It gets a 5 out of 5 stars from this deacon.

Watch or listen to an interview with Van Dam here to learn more.