To the Saints in Christ Jesus at Central,
Part of my pastor blog’s purpose is to inform our church of why we operate in specific areas the way we do. The blog on our children’s ministry and upcoming children’s minister role exemplifies the previous claim. My goal for this blog is three-fold. I wish to inform you from a biblical perspective why our deacon ministry functions the way it does, explain the steps we take behind the scenes and corporately in selecting potential candidates, and motivate men to aspire to become men who are qualified for the office. This blog will not answer all the questions of “What is a deacon?” I am writing with the assumption that my primary audience (Central Baptist Church) has at least a foundational knowledge of the deacon office.
I am going to begin by making a statement that I would argue most pastors are unable to make. I LOVE OUR MONTHLY DEACON’S MEETINGS!! I really do! Let me explain why. The New Testament Greek word for “deacon” is diakonos, which means “servant” in its most simple definition. The term had a variety of uses outside of the church office, but “servant” captures the office’s primary role. Scripture shows evidence of deacons performing duties such as caring for widows, serving tables, handling church finances, and others. While boundaries exist, I would argue that God grants autonomy to each local church of what the office’s responsibilities entail. Therefore, I am not claiming Central’s method is inerrant and cannot be improved. I am also not arguing that we are the universal model under which remaining churches must conform. We have decided that our deacon ministry’s primary responsibility is to provide care for our people through prayer, visitation, and, at minimum, monthly contact. Our monthly meetings begin with a devotion from our deacon chairman. Each deacon then reports on their assigned families from our active membership and follows their report with prayer over the families’ needs. Occasionally, a church discipline issue is reported by a pastor if he needs support addressing the issue with a deacon witness. We spend approximately two hours reporting and praying over our families before concluding the meeting. We do not discuss church finances. We have assigned a Budget and Finance Committee and Treasurer to handle church finances. We do not discuss building and property maintenance. We have a Building and Grounds Committee to handle these matters. Our deacons care for our active members, rarely anything beyond that.
Before presenting candidates to our church, I meet with the deacon chairman and discuss each man on our active membership directory to determine whether the member is qualified. We ask four questions that require a “yes” answer before contacting the individual to see if they are willing to serve. First, does the member meet the biblical qualifications of a deacon listed in 1 Timothy 3:8–13 and Acts 6:1–7 (Acts 6 does not use the term “deacon” nor defines the office as 1 Timothy 3; however, I would argue this text begins the evolution of the deacon office)? Second, is the member active in most of our weekly and special services? Regular attendance ensures that other members see our deacons as active, faithful members and allows them to interact with their families. Third, is the deacon already serving in the body of Christ? The man aspiring to become a deacon IS a servant. We do not elect an individual in hopes they will begin serving. Failure to apply this step in previous years led to neglect in the care of families. Lastly, if the member meets the previous three requirements, is he physically and mentally capable of holding the office? Once we have the list of qualified men, we affirm their willingness to serve and present willing and qualified men to the church to vote, granting final authority to the congregation.
My challenge is for men who do not currently hold the deacon office (or pastoral office). What are the answers when you ask the four questions above over your life, specifically the first three? What can you improve on this upcoming year to see a “no” become a “yes”? I challenge you to read over the texts above and even inform your current deacon to pray for the areas you are sensitive to improve upon to be considered for the next election. It is a noble and honorable task! However, the deacon qualifications in the texts above are not monumental achievements that only a few are expected to meet. I would argue the first three requirements should characterize every Christian. Therefore, even if the vote does not go your way, progressing towards these qualifications will draw you closer to our Lord and equip you to lead your family to follow!