Description
What does it mean to be a deacon in today's black Baptist church?
Respected author and pastor Rev. Dr. Marvin McMickle explores the scriptural basis and historical context for the deacon ministry in the black Baptist church, and addresses the practical issues related to this ministry today
• What personal qualities should a candidate for deacon possess?
• What does the ministry of deacons entail?
• What relationship should exist between the pastor and deacons?
• What about training, term of service (if any), and women deacons?
Models of contemporary deacon ministry, illustrated by case studies, provide a twenty-first century look at this first century ministry.
Judson suggests checking out Eddie Hammett's Spiritual Leadership in a Secular Age. You can see his other writings at www.transformingsolutions.org
Reviews
"Deacons in Today's Black Baptist Church is a gem mined from sound biblical truth and crisp theological understanding, polished by the practical experiences and insights gleaned from the author's more than three decades of pastoral ministry. " —Rev. Dr. Julius R. Scruggs, President, National Baptist Convention, USA, Incorporated
"Marvin McMickle, the remarkably gifted pastor of Cleveland's Antioch Baptist Church, has put all Christians in his debt with his brilliant and landmark book, Deacons in Today's Black Baptist Church. Christian people of any household of faith will find it indispensable reading. " —Rev. Dr. Gardner C. Taylor, past president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, and pastor emeritus, Concord Baptist Church of Christ, Brooklyn, NY
"Dr. Marvin McMickle challenges church leaders to look with fresh eyes at the office of deacon. Although this work is structured in the context of today's black Baptist church, it will be an invaluable resource for all Baptist churches. Dr. McMickle places the office of the deacon back into an appropriate biblical framework, while providing insight for selecting and training deacons for the twenty-first century. Rather than avoid much debated issues like women deacons, he faces them head on. IT IS A MUST READ! " —Rev. Kasey D. Jones, senior pastor, National Baptist Memorial Church, Washington, DC
"Dr. Marvin McMickle offers to the church a book that will help us serve God in this present age. This volume both educates and challenges the reader to think about the ministry of service as fulfilled by deacons. Dr. McMickle's ability to give both the historical positions and the present need makes this a volume worth reading. I am excited about the possibility of multiple uses—for the training and orientation of new deacons, but also encouraging existing deacons to think about what they are doing and what needs to be done in the future. The primary audience for this book is the local congregation, and it will also be a welcome resource for seminary classrooms where students are preparing for ministry. Seminarians reading this book will be led to consider new ways to envision the roles and responsibilities of deacons." —Rev. Dr. Marsha Brown Woodard, Instructor in Christian ministry, Palmer Theological Seminary, Wynnewood, PA; Transitional minister, First Baptist Church, Wayne, PA
"Dr. McMickle speaks to the black Baptist church in a relevant, timely manner. The book is well-written, purposeful, and pertinent to the church today. Personally, I feel the book can be applied to the church at large, not just black Baptist congregations. I highly recommend." —as reviewed on Book Bargains & Previews
"Deacons in the Black Baptist Church is an excellent and timely text for the men and women who provide leadership in their churches. It is full of useful suggestions that provide important information in helping the church and ministry to grow and flourish." —BlackandChristian.com
"Deacons in Today's Black Baptist Church informs, inspires, encourages and challenges deacons of any race. It is obvious the author knows his audience well for he does not dodge any controversial issue but rather walks into them with faith, courage, boldness and biblical and historical evidence. What a needed resource. Keep it close as you model servanthood deacon ministry that is certain to lead churches into a more effective ministry in a 21st century world." —Edward Hammett, deacon consultant & author of Reaching People Under 40 While Keeping People Over 60, www.thecolumbiapartnership.org
"Many readers will appreciate how McMickle addresses several hot button issues with a straightforward and scholarly yet gentle approach that is too often absent in the life of Baptist congregations. All Baptists could benefit from reading his two chapters that discuss women in ministry, and by extension sexism, in congregational life." —Baptist Studies Bulletin, September 2010
Author Bio
Marvin A. McMickle, DMin, PhD is currently Interim Regional Executive Minister of The Cleveland Baptist Association of American Baptist Churches USA. He was Interim Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, where he previously served as senior pastor for nearly twenty-five years. He has also served as past president of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester, New York. No stranger to academia, McMickle previously served as professor of homiletics at Ashland Theological Seminary and in 2009, spent a semester as a visiting professor at Yale University Divinity School. He also taught at Case Western Reserve, Cleveland State, Princeton, and Fordham universities. A prolific author, McMickle, has more than a dozen books to his credit, including resources on preaching, ministry, and African American history