Nathan Trice, President of the CDM
Seth Long, Vice President of the CDM
Chris Cashen, Secretary of the CDM
John Voss, Treasurer of the CDM
Chris Sudlow
Rick Dickinson
Mike DiPeppino
Ron DeRu
Tim Hopper
Administrator, David Nakhla
The Committee on Diaconal Ministries (CDM)
History:
The Committee on General Benevolence was established as a Standing Committee of the General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 1947, and renamed the Committee on Diaconal Ministries in 1973.
Purpose:
The purpose of the Committee on Diaconal Ministries (CDM) shall be to coordinate, stimulate, and promote the diaconal ministries of the congregations of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in those areas which are beyond the province and/or capacity of the local diaconates or presbytery diaconal committees. (From the CDM Operating Manual rev14a 180406).
Principles:
Click here for the Principles of Diaconal Ministry from the CDM Operating Manual rev14a (180406).
Membership:
The CDM consists of nine members elected by the General Assembly of the OPC to serve for three-year terms:
4 Deacons
3 Ministers
2 Ruling Elders
The Work:
Much of the CDM’s work falls under five categories:
Aid Requests
Diaconal Training
Disaster Response
Missionary Deacons
Refugee Ministry
See CDM Subcommittees for further details.
The CDM Ministers To:
Individuals in Need:
The CDM is privileged to be able to respond to appeals for diaconal assistance for individuals in need within the OPC, using funds entrusted to it through the faithful giving of individuals and churches. In striving to follow a Presbyterian structure within the diaconate, the CDM requires that appeals for aid for individuals be presented to it only after having first been considered at the local and regional levels of the church. (From the CDM Operating Manual rev14a 180406).
The CDM helps meet the diaconal needs of church members when the needs exceed the capacity of the local diaconate and Presbytery Diaconal Committee.
The CDM funds deeds of mercy that supplement the ministry of the Word on OPC foreign mission fields.
The CDM considers diaconal requests presented to it by sister reformed denominations.
Those Affected by Disasters:
The CDM stands ready to lead an organized and timely denominational response to major disasters at home and abroad.
The CDM participates in outreach ministries that focus on gospel witness to refugees at home and abroad.
OPC Deacons:
The CDM provides training and networking opportunities for deacons.
The CDM aids and encourages the work of Presbytery Diaconal Committees.
The CDM recruits, trains, and supports the Missionary Deacons and Doctors serving on OPC foreign mission fields.
Network of Deacons:
The network of deacons in the OPC is structured according to the Presbyterian Form of Government: denominational, regional, and local.
The CDM strives to achieve greater communication and collaboration between itself, Presbytery Diaconal Committees, and local diaconates.
Presbytery Diaconal Committees serve local diaconates as a financial, training, and fellowship resource, as well as a liaison to the CDM.
Subcommittees
All subcommittees of the CDM develop and recommend policies and procedures to be considered by the CDM. and write or solicit articles to be published within the OPC.
President Nathan Trice and Administrator David Nakhla are Ex-Officio members of each subcommittee.
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE (AFS)
The AFS oversees the work and compensation of the CDM’s employees, and reviews the budgets and finances of the CDM.
Mr. Christopher A. Sudlow (Chairman)
Mr. Seth B. Long
Mr. John J. Voss, Jr.
AID REQUEST SUBCOMMITTEE (ARS)
The ARS processes and makes recommendations on requests for financial assistance that come to it through the courts of the church. It is chaired by the Treasurer of the CDM.
Mr. Seth B. Long (Chairman)
Mr. John J. Voss, Jr.
Mr. Mike Di Peppino
DISASTER RESPONSE SUBCOMMITTEE (DRS)
In conjunction with the OPC Disaster Response Coordinator, the DRS approves the use of funds for particular disasters, oversees disaster response equipment, provides training for disaster response teams, and recruits on-site disaster response coordinators.
Mr. John J. Voss, Jr. (Chairman)
Mr. Ronald C. de Ru
Mr. Richard M. Dickinson
Mr. Joel B. King
Mr. Seth B. Long
DIACONAL TRAINING SUBCOMMITTEE (DTS)
The DTS plans and executes diaconal summits, promotes the development of presbytery diaconal committees, provides training materials for local diaconates, and interacts with the Committee on Christian Education on overlapping matters.
Rev. T. Nathan Trice (Chairman)
Rev. Christopher B. Cashen
Mr. Christopher A. Sudlow
Mr. Tim Hopper
MISSIONARY DEACON SUBCOMMITTEE (MDS)
The MDS recruits and secures funding for missionary deacons, oversees tools and equipment for missionary deacons, visits and encourages missionary deacons on the field, and interacts with the Committee on Foreign Missions on overlapping matters.
Rev. Christopher B. Cashen (Chairman)
Rev. T. Nathan Trice
Mr. Ronald C. de Ru
REFUGEE MINISTRY SUBCOMMITTEE (RMS)
As we are confronted with the reality of the present refugee crisis, we should see it as an opportunity to minister to those who have been torn from the safety and security of their normal lives and dispersed to various countries around the world. The Refugee Ministry Subcommittee serves to minister to these refugees in conjunction with local churches and presbyteries.
Rev. Christopher B. Cashen (Chairman)
Mr. Mike DiPeppino
Mr. Richard M. Dickinson
ADMINISTRATOR:
COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR:
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT:
CONTACT US:
Link to the Contact Page
Printable
CDM Tributes
In recent years, upon notice of the retirement of officers or long-term members from the CDM, a formal Resolution of Thanks from the President on behalf of the committee has been included in the minutes of the CDM’s Spring Meeting.
RESOLUTION OF THANKS TO DEACON BOB WRIGHT, JR.
March 2018
Deacon Bob Wright, Jr., will step down from the CDM after serving seven consecutive terms (21 years!). The CDM recognized his service in the following resolution adopted into its minutes:
Dear Bob,
Your unparalleled tenure of service on the CDM is testimony to your love for the Church of Jesus Christ, particularly the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and her ministry on behalf of Christ;
Your model of diaconal ministry in a missionary setting has been defining for our committee in its pursuit of a “missionary deacon” component of our ministry;
Your diverse gifts and amazing resourcefulness have provided support for the ministry of Word and prayer on the mission field in utterly indispensable ways;
Your personal sacrifice over many years of ministry under very demanding circumstances has been an inspiring example to us of radically self-denying service;
Your extensive experience in third world ministry, and your wide reading and reflection on the subject, have consistently provided an invaluable perspective to our committee;
And your personal warmth and wit have time and again refreshed the hearts of your brothers during many a long hour of deliberation.
Bob, we are deeply grateful for your twenty-one years of service on the Committee on Diaconal Ministries, and your nearly twenty years of service as a Missionary Deacon. We are thankful that by such service you have gained “a good standing for yourself, and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 3:13). And we look forward with you to hearing the commendation of our master one day: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25: 21, 23).
RESOLUTION OF THANKS TO REV. LENDALL SMITH
March 2018
Rev. Lendall Smith also plans to step down from the CDM after serving four consecutive terms (12 years). For the last nine years, Lendall has served as the President of the CDM, aptly guiding us through heavy waters. The CDM recognized his service in the following resolution adopted into its minutes:
Dear Lendall,
Your heart of compassion for the needy within reach of our committee’s ministry has been an inspiring example to all of us of the heart of our Lord Jesus for the poor;
Your steadfast devotion to the diverse and demanding responsibilities of our committee has been energizing – and occasionally convicting (!) – to us all;
Your eye for good order and attention to detail has facilitated a long succession of accomplishments, and preserved us from many a misstep in fulfillment of our duties;
Your vision of an enlarged field of the service to our denomination has contributed to an unprecedented season of growth for our committee;
Your godly character and reputation within the OPC have lent credibility and winsomeness to our committee’s relationship to the larger Church;
Your humility toward those you have lead as chairman has been a compelling example of the servant leadership of our Savior in his earthly ministry;
Your personal warmth and wit have time and again refreshed the hearts of your brothers during many a long hour of deliberation;
In short, your “fullness of wisdom and of the Spirit” (Acts 6:3) have exemplified for all of us the true qualifications for diaconal service in the church of Jesus Christ.
Lendall, we are deeply grateful for your twelve years of continuous service on the Committee on Diaconal Ministries, and your nine years of service as our president. We view your retirement with a deep sense of loss, yet with the happy awareness that by your diaconal service with us you have gained “a good standing for yourself, and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 3:13). And we look forward with you to the commendation of our master one day: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25: 21, 23).
RESOLUTION OF THANKS TO REV. RON PEARCE
March 2019
Rev. Ron Pearce plans to step down from the CDM after serving six consecutive terms (18 years), many of those during which he so ably served as the secretary of the committee. The CDM recognized his service in the following resolution adopted into its minutes:
Dear Ron,
Your heart of compassion for the needy within reach of the CDM’s ministry has been an inspiring example to all of us of the heart of our Lord Jesus for the poor.
Your steadfast commitment to the work of our committee over the course of eighteen years has contributed profoundly to the stability and increasing maturity of our ministry.
Your careful attention to the details of our work, and capturing them as our secretary (even anticipating some of them!) has been utterly indispensable to our achievements.
Your gracious and humble way of expressing yourself in our deliberations has been a model to all of us of what a churchman, doing the work of the church, looks like.
Your wit and infectious laugh has time and again sweetened our labors together, and contributed deeply to the Christian friendship we’ve enjoyed together.
Your godly character and reputation within the OPC have lent credibility and winsomeness to our committee’s relationship to the larger Church;
In short, your “fullness of wisdom and of the Spirit” (Acts 6:3) have exemplified for all of us the true qualifications for diaconal service in the church of Jesus Christ.
Ron, we are deeply grateful for your eighteen years of continuous service on the Committee on Diaconal Ministries. We view your retirement with a deep sense of loss, yet with the happy awareness that by your diaconal service with us you have gained “a good standing for yourself, and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 3:13). And we look forward with you to the commendation of our master one day: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25: 21, 23).
About the OPC
We’re the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Our purpose is simple:
- to bring glory to God through our churches and individual lives
- to make known to the world the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ
Continue reading at OPC.org