Relation to the Ministry of All Christians. Baptism is God's gift of unmerited grace through the Holy Spirit. It is an incorporation into Christ which marks the entrance of persons into the church and its ministry (Romans: 6:3,4,18).
The New Testament witness to Jesus Christ makes clear that the primary form of his ministry, in God's name, is that of service (diakonia) in the world. Very early in its history the church came to understand that all of its members were commissioned, in baptism, to ministries of love, justice and service, within local congregations and the larger communities in which they lived; all who follow Jesus have a share in the ministry of Jesus, who came not to be served, but to serve. There is thus a general ministry of all baptized Christians (The Book of Discipline, ¶¶ 105-107).
Within the people of God, some persons are called to the ministry of deacon. The words deacon, deaconess and diaconate all spring from a common Greek root--diakonos, or "servant," and diakonia, or "service." Very early in its history the church, as an act of worship and praise of God, instituted an order of ordained ministers to personify or focus the servanthood to which all Christians are called. These people were named deacons. This ministry exemplifies and leads the church in the servanthood every Christian is called to live both in the church and the world. The deacon is a sign of the interrelatedness of the congregation's worship with the ministry of service in the world.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21831-MN-315-D
1996 United Methodist General Conference