By Mildred Ndum Wung Kum
At a time when more servants are needed in the lord’s vineyard the Church has been gifted with 25 newly ordained deacons.
The men who have willingly responded to God’s call of service shall certainly bring some fresh impetus in the domain of God’s ministry wherever they shall be assigned. At a time when the Church is experiencing a numerical increase in it’s flock with the need to to make this flock understand the purpose of God’s creation, the dignity of humanity and the mystery of salvation, the coming of 25 new deacons is an answered prayer. At a time when more labourers are needed in the lord’s vineyard to proclaim God’s word to the ends of the earth, the coming of 25 new deacons adds to already existing ministers which will certainly bear more fruits in the work of evangelisation.
As the deacons shall be sent out to assist priests in parishes, their services would surely bring a greater impact in pastoral care as they shall engage with God’s people by proclaiming the Gospel, preaching the homily, reading petitions of the General Intercessions, receiving the gifts and any other functions they are assigned to execute. By the very challenging nature of work in the parishes, it is sometimes difficult for priests to catch up with the demands of outstations. The availability of deacons shall definitely ease work as they shall be involved in bringing Viaticum to the dying; presiding for prayer services; officiating at wakes, funerals and burial services.
Just like in the Acts of the Apostles when the ministry of deacons was established with the appointment of seven men to assist the Apostles by attending to peripheral necessities of the Christian community, it is hoped that the 25 Deacons ordained on June 29, 2021 will respond to the peripheral needs of the people.