Diaconate, the role of

What is the role of deacons?

The term “deacon” comes from the Greek term “diakonos” and simply means “minister” or “servant”. It is often used in the New Testament in the general sense of one who serves. However, in a few passages it is used to refer to those occupying a particular position of service in the early church.

Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:

· 1 Timothy 3:8-13 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The deacon is looked upon as someone called and equipped by God to be a servant of the Lord in the church, whose gifts and calling are recognized by the congregation through his election, testing and ordination. He is a servant entrusted with the special responsibility of the handling of the temporal affairs of the church, including the administration of temporal relief.

Acts 6:1-3 Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

A deacon’s task is a spiritual task, however. It requires him to be filled with the Spirit and wisdom in order to discharge it.

Acts 6:3 Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

The deacon derives his office directly from the church and not from the elders.

· Acts 6:5-6 The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

He is, therefore, not an apprentice elder, nor is his office to be considered as a stepping stone to the eldership. However, because God has required that Elders be overseers of the flock, the deacons are under their oversight and are responsible to them in the Lord.

1 Peter 5:1-5 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.

The qualifications of a deacon are set forth in:

Acts 6:3 Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

Note: Neither counseling nor teaching are specifically mentioned as duties of deacons, nor is the ability to do so stated as a requirement for becoming a deacon, though they are not precluded. In contrast, an elder MUST be able to teach (1 Timothy 3:2). However, a deacon must still be able to hold “to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.” Obviously an officer of the church, managing the money of the church and administering the facilities of the church, must have some degree of understanding as to the nature, role and expectations of a church.

The qualifications discovered in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 may be grouped into six categories:

1. Dignity: Just because deacons are dignified does not mean optimism, laughter and joy will be missing from their lives. However, it does mean they treat spiritual matters seriously.

2. Truthfulness: Not “double-tongued” describes a person whose speech you can trust. This person does not insinuate, manipulate, exaggerate, or fabricate when speaking. Deacons should not be gossipers or individuals whose words are not truthful.

3. Self-discipline: “Not addicted” and not “fond of sordid gain” reflect the need for self-discipline. Early Christians lived in a pluralistic world of pagan excesses, a world lacking discipline, just like we do. We must, like them, not conform ourselves to the world’s culture (Romans 12:1-2) but instead be salt and light to the world.

4. Integrity: This was Paul’s intent when he wrote “holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.” The deacon must be a person whose lifestyle reflects a sincere effort to keep the teachings of Christ.

5. Proven spiritual maturity: To put it another way, if the deacon were not a deacon before being chosen a deacon, he probably should not be elected to be a deacon. We do not choose people to be deacons in hopes that our choice will make them better people. We choose people as deacons who already strive to live a Christ-like life.

6. Healthy family life: The teaching of 1 Timothy 3:12 contains two parts: “husband of one wife” and “ruling their children and their houses well.” This passage says nothing about divorce. What it DOES say is that a deacon may not be polygamous, should be sexually faithful and must be a successful parent. It indicates that deacons should be parents who seek to have Christian homes. We should not expect deacons to be perfect parents. None of us are. Even in homes of the godliest Christian parents, there are great differences in the spiritual maturity of children nurtured in the same family. That is both the blessing and the curse of free will.

A deacon must first be tested before serving in his office.

1 Timothy 3:10. These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.

The attitude necessary for performing the office of deacon well is set forth by our Lord as recorded by Mark.

· Mark 10:42-45 Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Should women be allowed into the diaconate? First, we must recognize that as Christians, the Adamic curse has largely been lifted from us and we are looking forward to the day when that restoration will be complete. However, the much-misunderstood female curse of submission (Genesis 3:16) has already been lifted.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Second, we must realize that there is a biblical precedent for a deaconess.

Romans 16:1-2 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.

Note: Interestingly, the word translated here as “servant” is the same word that is everywhere else translated “deacon.” So either we must dispense with the transliteration “deacon” and simply refer to that office as “servants” or we must consider Phoebe a deaconess.

Philippians 4:1-3 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Note: Euodia and Syntyche are both feminine names. Besides this, Paul clearly identifies them as women within the context of the passage. But he describes them as having shared his struggle in the cause of the gospel and as fellow workers.

Third, if we hold to the appropriate view of the diaconate; that they are servants of the church; that they are not required to be teachers in the church; that they operate under the oversight of the eldership – then even those who hold to women being “silent in” and not “usurping authority” over the church should have no problem with a deaconess. For further treatment on the role of women in the church feel free to red “Role of Women” at fromthebible.net under “Topical Bible Studies.”

Guidelines and Goals for the Diaconate

Within the deacons’ personal life:

A deacon is to be a maturing disciple of Christ, so that his life, private and public, is an example and encouragement to the flock. To achieve that goal he or she should read God’s Word, meditate on it, pray and praise God daily.
A male deacon must be a faithful head of a Christian home. Deacons, regardless of gender, should spend adequate time with their spouse so as to combat their loneliness. (Genesis 2:18)
They should pray daily with their spouses.
They should have regular family devotions.
They should spend adequate time with their children to be an example to them and guide them.
Deacons should develop their spiritual gifts fro more useful service to God. They should seek to understand what these gifts are, and should seek God’s wisdom in their development and use.
Deacons should endeavor to maintain their physical health and emotional stability as much as God allows. Obviously, physical handicaps do not preclude one from the diaconate else we would have to preclude Paul from the apostolate! (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Deacons should undertake civil responsibilities that come in due course as a good citizen.

Within their service:

Deacons and Poverty

Deacons are entrusted with the special responsibility of the handling of the temporal affairs of the church, including the administration of temporal relief. The deacons should divide among themselves the responsibility for the temporal affairs of the church, including the administration of temporal relief, so that the task is shared by each according to his abilities and gifts.
Deacons should actively encourage church members to provide for those who are in want.
There should be a “Deacon’s Fund” or a “Benevolence Fund” which is a set percentage of the church’s budget dedicated to the relief for the poor.
Special needs judged to be of concern to the congregation, but for which the Benevolence Fund is inadequate, may be brought to the congregation for a special offering.
Deacons, more than simply relieving poverty, should seek to prevent poverty. They should seek to make themselves aware of the needs within the congregation and the community. They should cheerfully seek to take adequate steps either in discreetly providing financial aid or providing job opportunities or other such matters to help prevent members of the congregation from coming to poverty.
The diaconate should, like the Good Samaritan who helped a Jewish stranger, help those in need outside the congregation as opportunities and abilities arise.
Besides simply offering a check, Deacons should pray with the distressed and remind them of the consolations of Holy Scripture.

Deacons and Structure (the following are suggestions for organization which have worked in the church I pastor)

Some teams could be:

i. Board of Deacons

ii. Benevolence Team

iii. Building (Construction) Team

iv. Grounds Maintenance Team

v. Janitorial (Building Maintenance) Team

vi. Finance Team (responsible for establishing budgets and doing internal audits)

vii. Ushers Team

A Deacon should be the chairman of each team, though non-elected congregants could be team members. The team chairman may recruit from the Board of Deacons or from the congregation as a whole, people as needed to serve on his team. If a team has several major functions, sub-teams may be set up to be responsible for these.
The Deacons’ teams may meet as needed, some needing to meet monthly, others not. The teams should discuss their business in business meetings, make plans on how to carry it out, see that the work is done, and report their work to the Board of Deacons who in turn, answers to the Church Council. If a team has a problem on which it needs the advice of the whole Board, this problem, together with possible solutions, should be presented to the whole board.

Duties of Diaconate Teams

Benevolence: Their duties may include ministering to the sick, needy and aged, the encouraging of members to visit the sick, needy and aged, a tape ministry to shut-ins, the arrangement of transportation to worship services for the aged and infirm, and the allocation of benevolent funds which may be disbursed through the treasurer. With this proposed team structure, members of the church who are not active deacons can be enlisted to be on the various teams as needed. It should be recognized that, although the Benevolence Team is considered as a separate team, yet the work of benevolence is a work in which each Deacon should be active and take his part. All deacons should be considered, therefore as ex-officio members of the Benevolence Team whether they meet with them regularly or not. The deliberations of the Benevolence Team may be directed, however, by a small steering group if so desired, which can consider the work and responsibilities in benevolence and distribute appropriate responsibilities to the several members of the Board of Deacons in benevolent matters.
Building Maintenance: Their duties may include the consideration of, carrying out or arranging for needed repairs, painting, remodeling, lighting-replacement in the church buildings, the making of a check and priority list of building maintenance work, and the encouraging of members of the church to help in the work of building maintenance. Further, they may see to it that needed janitorial supplies are secured, seeing that the custodial work is carried out satisfactorily, arranging for periodic house-cleanings in which the help of all the members of the church is secured, and the making of a check list of cleaning jobs that should be done weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annually.
Grounds Maintenance: Their duties may include the care of the lawns, the parking lots, the shrubbery and trees on the church property, taking care of necessary plantings, the making of a check and priority list of grounds maintenance work, and the encouraging of members of the church to help the team in its work.
Finance Team: Their chairman would logically be the Church Treasurer, though this is not a requirement. Their duties would include the counting of the money received after the worship service, long-range financial planning for the church, preparing of the annual budget fro presentation to the Church Council and the Congregation, the informing of the Congregation of the financial condition, trends and needs of the church, and consideration and action on requests made by non-members for use of any of the facilities of the church.
Ushers: Their duties may include appointing, training and scheduling ushers for the regular meetings of the church, and for special meetings when needed. The team may also arrange with people in the church for flowers for church services.

Other Expectations: besides the previous guidelines, my church uses the following:

A Deacon must be twenty-one years old.
A Deacon must have been a part of the church for at least one year. The church must know the individual well enough to determine:

i. Some basic level of emotional maturity

ii. The call of God on his or her life.

A Deacon must be supportive of the ministry God has given to our church. We are a unique church and those who lead need to know the church and be enthusiastic about it’s ministry in our community.
A Deacon must have a good reputation within the congregation and the community at large. The Deacon’s reputation must reflect positively on the Christ and His church.