Includes bibliographical references.

Pt. 1. Breaking the Mould of Christendom - a summary -- Pt. 2. 'Eighteen theses for the diaconal church' -- Pt. 1. Overview -- 1. Yearning for the end of Christendom: an Anabaptist response / Stuart Murray -- 2. Breaking the Mould of Christendom: David Clark's challenge to Roman Catholicism / Paul Lakeland -- 3. Breaking eggs for omelettes? Reflections on the diaconal church from the perspective of the 'happiness hypothesis' / John Atherton -- Pt. 2. The mission of the diaconal church -- 4. Living Christ within and beyond the diaconal church / Clive Marsh -- 5. Christendom died some time ago: the east London experience / Kenneth Leech -- 6. The future for 'Faith at Work': a New Zealand perspective / Alistair Mackenzie -- 7. 'The Coalition for Ministry in Daily Life' (USA) / Sally Simmel -- Pt. 3. The nature of the diaconal church -- 8. Towards a diaconal church: some reflections on New Testament material / Paula Gooder -- 9. 'Sustainable church growth' and the role of 'the deacon' / Martin Stringer -- 10. Local Collaborative Ministry: liberating the laos through learning / Anne Tomlinson -- 11. Re-forming church leadership / Malcolm Grundy -- Pt. 4. Forms of the diaconal church -- 12. The Society of Friends as a learning community: the Quaker experience / Judith Jenner -- 13. The Methodist Diaconal Order: a sign of the diaconal church / Sue Jackson -- Pt. 5. Final reflections -- 14. A diaconal church for a diaconal world / David Clark -- App. 1. From the Christendom church to the diaconal church -- App. 2. The roles of 'presbyter' and 'deacon' in the diaconal church -- App. 3. 'Eighteen theses for diaconal institutions' -- App. 4. 'Ten principles for building the human city'.

"The Diaconal Church presents a debate about the nature and significance of an innovative model of church described in David Clark's book Breaking the Mould of Christendom: Kingdom Community, Diaconal Church and the Liberation of the Laity, published by Epworth in November 2005. In this symposium, 13 scholars from a range of Christian denominations and countries discuss the key themes which underpin the model of the diaconal church."--BOOK JACKET.