April 26, 2014
The Mysterious Case of the Vanishing Deacon
By J. Michael Shannon They used to be found in large numbers. In some cases, they were the first church officers a visitor would meet. They were visible in church services and activities. Now they seem to be almost an endangered species. Who are they? They are deacons. I have the opportunity to visit all kinds of churches in various contexts. In an increasing number of those churches, it is extremely difficult to find a deacon. In churches where they do have them, it is difficult to figure out where they are. Why are they disappearing? Sometimes the disappearance can be explained by the
