Diaconal Ministry of Mercy

The heart of God for the poor is the reason for the diaconal ministry of the church. Though subordinate to the ministry of the Word, mercy ministry is, however, a vital complement to it, and can even be indispensable to it. The gospel is an expression of the holistic love of God: it aims at the ultimate wellbeing of the whole person, both body and soul.  The kingdom of Christ will bring an eventual end to all human deprivation, both spiritual and material, for those who put their faith in Christ. The church testifies to this reality when it complements the ministry of the Word with a ministry of mercy, even as our Lord joined a ministry of healing to his ministry of teaching.  Indeed, without genuine compassion for the material needs of our brother, our assurances of love for them can ring hollow (James 2: 15-16).  The work of diaconal ministry is to lead the Church in such a way as to ensure that its love is not in word or talk only, but in also in deed and in truth (1 John 3:17-18).  This is not to displace the ministry of the Word as the primary calling of the Church. It is rather to strengthen it, and to render it more credible and effective. Click here to learn more about Diaconal Ministries in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

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