On quietly doing the work of the deacons


The work of the deacons seldom attracts attention.

The work of the pastor and the elders are often the main focus in a church. After all, what can be more important than the preaching and the teaching?

And so, when the Executive Director of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (my denomination) decides to comment on Hebrews 13:3, his article in the denominational magazine focuses on a program conducted by Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary in one of the Ionia Prisons offering undergraduate courses to inmates. He draws attention to the wonderful work of our friends at Crossroads Prison Ministries. He praises a worship team that goes into one of the Muskegon prisons to lead services each month.

The agencies and the people mentioned deserve that spotlight.

But once again, the work of the deaconate didn’t draw any attention. I’m not a theologian, and I know better than to pretend that I’m knowledgeable on these matters. But Calvin Seminary prof Dr. John Rottman, who serves on our Board of Directors, knows what he’s talking about. And he insists that the work of HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS is the work of deacons.

If you stopped in our office today, you’d likely find the team

Helping a guy straighten out a Social Security number mix-up
Helping a brain cancer victim in his final days
Sending a photo behind bars for an artist to paint
Finding a long-lost relative
Helping a dyslexic inmate prepare a commutation application
Helping a transgender inmate with multiple in-prison issues
Helping a wrongly convicted inmate obtain legal documents.

I’m not complaining about Steven Timmermans’ piece in the Banner. Not at all. We thank God for every person, every agency, that is willing to do something for prisoners.

But his conclusion asks members of our denomination to consider gifts and opportunities to those agencies remembering prisoners, as challenged in Hebrews 13. And when it comes to “gifts and opportunities,” I’m suggesting that HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS should be high on everyone’s year-end list. We’re the ones down in the trenches, quietly doing the work of the deaconate.

"Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated…”

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