A church judicial analysis of the office of the deacon in the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research study analyses the office of the deacon in the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ). This is done by taking the Scriptural and Reformed church polity understanding of the office of a deacon into account. Chapter 1 deals with the research background of the study. This chapter serves as the general introduction to the main thrust and objectives of the research. The main aim of this study is to analyze the function of the office of the deacon in the RCZ in the light of Scriptural and Reformed church polity understanding of the office of a deacon. Chapter 2 deals with the office of deacon in the RCZ. Firstly, this chapter describes the social, economic, cultural and political setting of Zimbabwe. Secondly, it attends to the historical background of the RCZ and lastly, attention is given to the development of the offices in the church, predominantly the office of the deacon. Chapter 3 deals with the Scriptural basis for the office of the deacon. Chapter 4 provides a church judicial reflection of the office of deacon. Different views of Church polity experts will be dealt with. Attention will be given to articles regarding the office of the deacon in the church orders of the Reformed Churches in America, Christian Reformed Church in Canada, Protestant Church in the Netherlands, the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America and the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa. Chapter 5 deals with the recommendations proposed to the RCZ regarding the office of the deacon in order to ensure that the RCZ will adhere to a Scriptural and Reformed church polity understanding of the office of the deacon.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University