Ordained deacons and the sacraments of Baptism and Communion in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa

For those who do not follow my blog regularly, I am an ordained Presbyter (in the USA, an ordained Elder) in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.  Simply, it means that I was trained and then ordained for the ministry of word and sacrament in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.  For some years I have served as a member of the Methodist Church's Doctrine, Ethics and Worship Commission (DEWCOM) - this is the committee of the Methodist Church that seeks to offer theological perspectives (and sometimes even position papers) on pertinent issues related to our faith.  Sometimes they are issues of an ethical nature (like whether the Church should ordain persons of a same sex orientation).  At other times they are issues related to the worship and polity of the Church, such liturgies and orders of ministry.

When I was still the Dean of the Methodist seminary in Pretoria I had a strong connection with the Methodist Order of Deacons - I still have a particular affinity to this order (and sometimes think that I would have been far better suited for this order than the one in which I am ordained).  In short, Deacons are persons who are ordained to the ministry of word and service.  Their ordination is non-sequential (in other words, unlike the Anglican Church that first ordains a person as a Deacon, and then after further training and spiritual formation ordains them as a Presbyter, our denomination sees the ministry of a Deacon as equal to that of a Presbyter.  It simply has a different focus within the body of Christ).  All persons are called to ministry, as Luther rightly suggested we are all 'ordained' to a common ministry in our Baptism into the Priesthood of all believers.  It is worth noting that the Bible speaks of the priesthood of ALL believers (thus the priestly function of the body is fulfilled when all of the members respond to their call and perform their function within the body).  This is different from the common misconception which I call the priesthood of EVERY believer (which considers each members an individual priest, having the ministry responsibility of the entire body of Christ expressed in EACH person).  I don't think the second model is either realistic or Biblical.

Some years ago while serving the DEWCOM the Methodist Order of Deacons requested dispensation to administer the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion (specifically the sacrament of Holy Communion), since many Deacons found themselves stationed by the Church to Pastoral oversight congregations.  As part of the life of the congregation they would be expected to administer communion as a regular part of the Methodist sacramental discipline (at least once a quarter).

Presbyters as agency and extreme unction.

In the regular order the Deacon would have to ask a Presbyter to A) preside over the sacrament in the presence of the gathered congregation, or B) ask the Presbyter to set aside the elements of bread and wine in another service of worship and then allow the Deacon to administer these elements in their congregation [just as an aside, Methodists don't consecrate the elements since we don't believe in the doctrines of consubstantiation or transubstantiation but rather we believe that Holy Communion and Baptism are 'real instruments', and 'means of grace' through which we experience in concrete terms the unseen Grace of God in community].

The Deacon's request was a pragmatic one - there are not enough Presbyters (or more accurately not enough willing Presbyters) to preside over the sacrament.  Moreover, their initial request stated the common pastoral concern that they are often called to the deathbed of congregants and in times of crisis such as this they can seldom get a Presbyter to serve communion (either because of distance or compliance).  The net result is sacramental starvation.

Of course this second issue is not truly an issue for two reasons:

1.  Traditionally the Church has made an allowance for any believer to preside over the sacrament of Baptism (and so I guess by extension also the sacrament of Holy Communion (as a means of grace)) in emergencies.  For example a lay doctor could baptise a dying infant.  In this sense any person (including a Deacon) should be allowed to preside over the sacraments in an emergency.
2.  The second reason is also a theological exclusion; quite simply, Methodists do not practice extreme unction (what the sacramental traditions of the Anglican and Catholic Church popularly refer to as 'the last writes').  For Catholics the Eucharist is not just a means of grace (i.e, a visible expression of God's forgiving and reconciling grace), it is an actual moment of grace (since in transubstantiation the recipient receives the actual body and blood of Christ that cleanses sin and brings forgiveness).  Thus, a person would wish to receive communion, or at least extreme unction as close to their death as possible in order to die without sin.  We simply don't believe that Holy Communion forgives sin or has that function.  You can read my paper for a clearer understanding of the intention of the sacrament of Holy Communion for Methodist Christians.

Lay agents administering Holy Communion (as a precedence)

The Deacons provided another very good pragmatic reason for wanting to be allowed to administer Holy Communion.  The Methodist Church of Southern Africa has the very strange practise of allowing Lay Persons to administer the sacrament under license and discipline of their District Bishop (the discipline is confined to a circuit and the Circuit Superintendent Minister has disciplinary oversight).  Methodists may be suprised to hear me saying that Lay Persons have a license to administer the sacraments!  Most would probably say that only ministers are allowed to administer the sacraments in their context - well, if you have a students ministers (also called a probationer minister) labouring in your circuit and she / he administers the sacrament then you have a Lay Person presiding over the sacraments!

Simply stated, a person remains a lay person until she or he is ordained!  That is just the way it is!  You only cease being a member of ho layos when you are ordained either as a Presbyter or Deacon (you can see my book 'Methodism in Southern Africa:  A Celebration of Wesleyan Mission' for a detailed discussion of the three orders of ministry and the role of the Lay Christian / Lay minister in that order).  Probationer / student ministers receive a license from their Bishop to administer the sacraments within their circuit (they can be charged if they administer Baptism or Holy Communion outside of their circuit!)

This arrangement has been a source of great debate and even embarrassment in ecumenical circles.  Our Anglican sisters and brothers struggle to understand how we can allow lay persons to administer the sacraments.  However, I am led to believe that this pragmatic concession was made by our Church leaders some years ago (before we had an order of Deacons) in order to allow student ministers in very remote locations to meet the sacramental needs of their congregations.

On these grounds the Order of Deacons are absolutely within their rights to say that they, as Ordained persons, should be allowed to administer the sacrament of Holy Communion in areas where there is inadequate agency (whether through geography or apathy).

However, theologically it would not be permissible!  Simply because the Church has made a pragmatic consession in one instance (that is not theologically justifiable) it cannot make ANOTHER such concession (two wrongs do not make a right).  What the Church should do is:

1.  Not license Probationers to administer the sacraments.
2.  Train more persons and ordain them as Presbyters (if one is called to the ministry of word and sacrament that is the area within which one should labour).

Two positions on Deacons and Sacraments in the MCSA.

My friend, Dr Vernon van Wyk, who is an ordained Deacon raised a question on facebook about two perspective on Deacons and the sacrament of Holy Communion.  The two perspectives are presented in two position papers which I would encourage you to read.

Position 1: Dion Forster
Position 2: Diane Sundberg

In summary, my position is a straightforward theological position.  In terms of historical and Biblical theology one is ordained EITHER to word and sacrament OR word and service.  If one feels called to administer the sacraments one should train as a Presbyter.  The pragmatic concerns of agency and precedence (mentioned above) should be solved by means other than theological expediency.

If I read Diane's paper correctly she relies on two points to suggest that we reconsider allowing Deacons to administer the sacraments.  First, that Wesley's theology is pragmatic in nature and so the founder of Methodism would have made a pragmatic allowance for persons such as Deacons to administer the sacraments.  I say persons such as Deacons since the Methodist movement of Wesley's day only had Priests and Lay Preachers and only ordained Priests (even those ordained by Wesley himself) were allowed to preside over the sacrament.   The second argument is that of theological precedence (i.e., the Church already allows laity to administer the sacrament, why not ordained Deacons)?

My thoughts:

1.  I am still of the view that the theology of the Church, from Scripture and history is quite clear.  We should respond to the call to ministry in keeping with the one who calls.  The Church has a responsibility to discern the call and ordain persons to their respective ministries (word and sacrament or word and service).   This is the only theologically sensible thing to do!

2. I still believe that the pragmatic concerns are real concerns and that the Church will need to find some real solutions to them.  First among them is to ensure that there are enough ordained Presbyters to administers the sacraments.  Second, to no longer license lay persons to administer the sacraments as a general expectation during training for ministry.  Third, to formally acknowledge that there will be some instances in which the ordained Deacon should be allowed to administer both Baptism and Holy Communion.  Fourth, to educate both our ministers and members to understand the purposes of the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion as means of grace within the Church (so as to avoid using Holy Communion as a sacrament of 'extreme unction').

3.  I am still firmly of the belief that Deacons perform a distinct, valuable and necessary ministry within the Church.  I further believe that the value of this ministry is eroded if we turn Deacons into Presbyters!  In my paper I discuss the theology of a servant who is sent into the world as a high calling, not only equal to that of a Presbyter, but in some instance even higher than that of the celebrant.

So, I cannot agree with Diane's position (if I have understood it correctly). 

Whilst Mr Wesley was a pragmatist he was not a Methodist, certainly not in the way we are Methodists (he was an Anglican Priest who never considered or hoped that we would become a denomination free from the Anglican discipline.  Moreover he did not have any concept of the Order of Deacons as we have it in contemporary Southern African Methodism).  Moreover, while scripture does not forbid it, it certain does offer clearer examples of the order of ministry in the developing New Testament Church.  Applying the line of argument that scripture does not expressly forbid something is quite dangerous!  Scripture does not expressly forbid the use of atomic bombs in war, but it DOES give some clear guidelines about the sanctity of life.

Where we can sensibly see, in Church tradition and Scripture, which direction we should follow, we need to exercise extreme caution in going against such clear direction and guidance.
In conclusion I am not against Deacons administering the sacraments, I am however against Deacons eroding the unique character and gifting of their ministry for the sake of pragmatic expediency. 

We should take great care that we don't sell the high calling of servanthood at the price of a quick fix for accessible sacramental agency! So, I would encourage the Order of Deacons to so transform the Church through facilitating the true meaning of Holy Communion (as a sacrament of true reconcilliation NOT only in the Church but more specifically in the world) and Baptism as a sign of evangelism (bringing persons from the world into the Church, the body of Christ), and where necessary not to settle for poor planning and stationing by the Church's committees, or non-compliance and cooperation by ordained Presbyters.    If a Presbyter will not avail him or her self to serve (serve!) the sacraments when called upon, his or her ministry as an ordained person should be called into question.

What our Church needs is many more servants, persons truly called to exemplify the nature and mind of Christ (in accordance with Philippians 2).  This ministry is necessary for the Priesthood of ALL believers to allow Christ's body to fulfill its priestly functions in unity.

I would love to hear your perspective on this matter!  Please do drop me a comment here, or on facebook!

Together with you in Christ,

Dion

Comments

[Grant]

Dion

Does it say in the Bible that Communion is only to be administered by a Presbyter?

Does it say in the Bible that a deacon can't serve Communion?

Are these not just Church traditions?

Did Christ not do away with the Priesthood? (Hebrews 7:27)

Are we not all priests now? (1 Peter 2:9 )

There are different offices and we don't all have the same gifts and we are called to do different functions.

Eph 4:11-13
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up s the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ

But if the Bible does not teach on this why can't a faithful Deacon(servant/layman) serve in this way?

I agree that is is important to look at Church history to see how certain things have been done in the past but is not scripture the final authority?

[Nicholas]

Hi Dion,
Thank you for a well thought out and clearly stated viewpoint. As a presbyter in the MCSA, I have a rather simple comment to add...
If one senses God's call to full-time ministry and seeks to preach the word and administer the sacrament, then that person should candidate and train themselves towards becoming a presbyter. Should one sense the call to serve God in the community, then that person should candidate and train themselves towards becoming a deacon.
I'm not so sure that it is the church's process that should change, but rather those who sense God's calling, need to be sure of their vocational direction.
Granted, THAT in itself is sometimes difficult to discern yet that for me is the crux of this debate...
Take care
Nicholas

[Vernon van Wyk]

I am called to a Ministry of Word and Service and view myself to be ordained as a sacramental sign of Christ the Servant. As a Deacon I offer direct service to those in need, and help church members to discover their participation in the ministry of Service. Service is my calling as a Deacon.
As a Deacon I am thus a representative servant who has been sent as an emissary pointing back to the source of my authority, namely the compassion and authority of Jesus Christ. In this sense I make the grace of Christ’s servant ministry present to the whole world. I’m ordained to be a facilitator and animator of the Church’s call to serve in the world.

The skills of the Deacon compliment the skills of the Presbyter. The partnership between Deacon and Presbyter brings the Church to the community and the community to the Church. The Deacon builds bridges between the needs of the community, between Presbyters and Deacons, and laity. The ministry of Deacon creates and enhances connections between worship and the work of laity in the community. Deacons organize and empower laity to fulfil their calling of service in the local church and in the community.

My position with regard to the sacrament of Holy Communion is simple: My Senior Presbyter sets aside the elements of bread and wine in another service of worship and then allows me as a Deacon to administer these elements in my congregation. This also entails an extended table where I am tasked to take Communion to persons at Worship services at homes for the aged in our community. It appears that my Senior Presbyter and the Circuit Superintendent are comfortable with this practice. I have no issue should they not plan me to perform this service as my primary function in my society is Word and Service. They however choose to use my service in this way.
Many of my colleagues however have the problem that they Serve in situations where there are not enough Presbyters to preside over the sacrament. Deacons also serve the aged and disabled in their homes who are unable to attend the Church Services and need the extended table to be taken to them in the model of Acts 6. I believe the Church should formally recognize the role of the Deacon in these instances.
Furthermore Deacons are often called to the deathbed of congregants and in times of crisis such as this they can seldom get a Presbyter to serve communion (either because of distance or compliance).I note Dr Foster’s correct comment that this is actually a non-issue as “…the Church has (traditionally) made an allowance for any believer to preside over the sacrament of Baptism (and so I guess by extension also the sacrament of Holy Communion (as a means of grace)) in emergencies.” I support this point and should this be supported wider in our Church, my brother and sister Deacons should not have a problem. Yes I agree that deacons have a distinctive calling to service, but circumstances do arise when as an act of grace they should feel free to take Communion to specific persons in specific circumstances.
There is however another problem in that the MCSA allows Lay Persons to administer the sacrament under license and discipline of their District Bishop (the discipline is confined to a circuit and the Circuit Superintendent Minister has disciplinary oversight). In most cases this is limited to Probationer Presbyters and I have no issue with this. I am however also aware of a person “Pastoring” a MCSA Society, not a Presbyter – at most a Local Preacher – administering the Sacraments of Baptism and Communion. How will this be justified should the MCSA place an Ordained Deacon in that Society?