- Are deacons the leaders of the church?
In short, no. Elders are the spiritual leaders of the church. The church is to be primarily a place for the ministry of the Word and prayer. That ministry, of Word and prayer, is led by the elders of the church. However, there is an aspect of service needed to carry out the practical needs of the church. Deacons help lead these ministries. Take, for instance, the apostles and servants of Acts 6. The church was growing so much that the apostles (proto-type elders) were being drawn away from the ministry of the Word and prayer to handle practical needs of the body. Therefore, the church appointed servants (proto-type deacons) to meet those physical needs. The deacons are to be assistants to the pastors to help deal with the physical needs of the body while the elders are tending to the spiritual needs of the church. There will be inevitable overlap between the two ministries but together the elders and deacons work harmoniously in different avenues to produce a healthy church. Both of the needs met by elders and deacons are spiritual needs and the church is tasked to meet them. The benefit of this clarification is the result; “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).
- What is the difference between elders and deacons?
Elders are those men who have been tasked with the shepherding ministry of the Word and prayer. Deacons are those servants who are assigned to specific tasks or ministries in order to free up the elders to do the shepherding ministry of the Word and prayer. In other words, deacons are assistants to the pastors to help build up the church.
- What are the qualifications of a deacon?
1 Timothy 3:8-13. Also listen to this sermon (link to sermon on deacons).
- How do I know if I am supposed to be a deacon?
Being appointed as a deacon is not a lone ranger appointment. It is a combination of needs of the church, personal qualification of character, personal ability to meet the need, and the church’s public appointment to the office.
At Faith Community Church, deacons are nominated by the elders at a members meeting to be appointed to a particular task or minsitry. Then, the deacons will be observed and tested until the following member’s meeting. At the following members meeting, as long as no justified hesitations were brought up from the members of the church, then the whole congregation will appoint the deacons to office.
- Can a deacon be divorced?
Yes. Although there are differing opinions, FCC has taken the stance that deacons can be divorced. However, there are situations where divorce would disqualify a person from being a deacon. This should be evaluated on a case by case situation. The qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 are not a list of qualifications which a person must have always had, but rather that they currently possess. For more information on those qualifications, listen to the sermon here:
Yes. With the understanding that women cannot be elders, FCC has taken the position that women can be deacons. The qualification in 1 Timothy 3:11 has the Greek word for woman. Oftentimes, this has been translated into the English as deacon’s wives. However, we believe the meaning of that word leaves room for women to be deacons.
- Why is the title deacon necessary?
The title of deacon is an important and necessary title because terms matter. There is a potential for two bad situations as it pertains to the title of deacon.
Situation one is the person who is desiring the title of deacon for a sense of entitlement. Perhaps this person thinks that if they have a title, then they will have more of a voice to influence people. This is a poor reason for a person to pursue a deacon role and title. A deacon is to be dignified, blameless and not greedy for dishonest gain. If a person is interested in a title for the sake of influence, they prove themselves to be unfit for the role and title of deacon.
Situation two is the person who has been noticed to be doing deacon work but does not have the title of deacon, and furthermore does not want the title of deacon. First off, everyone who does deacon (Servant) work does not necessitate the title of deacon. The election of deacons are up to the entire church, not simply themselves as individuals. Secondly, while deacons ought to be humble and avoid seeking dishonest personal gain, they should not display false humility. False humility can sometimes be masked as humility. As it pertains to this situation, someone may say, “I will do the work of a deacon but I do not need the title of deacon.” While this seems virtuous, it actually has the potential of not being a display of true humility.
So, the title is necessary for the sake of clarity. When deacons carry the title, they carry responsibility. Without this title, the responsibility either floats around and goes without necessary attention or the responsibility ends up on the elder’s plate. A person assigned to the task that has risen in the life of the church as a need ought to carry the responsibility and title.
Therefore, the title of deacon is a necessary worthy title if a person is deemed worthy by the entire congregation.
- What makes a person qualified to be a deacon beyond their character and godliness? If I am not a deacon, does that make me less of a Christian? And if I am a deacon, does that make me a better Christian?
Deacons serve the needs of the church, they do not serve any other purpose. It is not in the best interest of the church nor the individual that a person be nominated as a deacon other than for; a clear need in the church, a person’s character qualifications, a person’s ability to meet the need, and the church’s appointment.
Deacons are not better than other members and that idea should not bear fruit in the life of a church. Each person is a member of the church and has a great addition to the body of Christ, no matter the title. Although titles are important and prestigious, they should not bolster pride or sinful hierarchy in the life of a church.
- What is the relationship between deacons and elders?
Elders are given to the spiritual direction of the church as they lead through the ministry of shepherding by teaching the Word of God faithfully and prayer. Deacons work together with the elders to free up their time and attention from the service, administration, etc. tasks that arise. This does not mean elders are not involved in all the ministry of the church but rather that they “should not give up the ministry of the Word and prayer to wait tables” (Acts 6:4). So, the elders and deacons work together harmoniously in their respective lanes.
- What is the relationship between the individual deacons?
At FCC, we do not have a “board of deacons.” The board of deacons approach to deacons lacks clarity for title and role of deacons. Deacons who carry the title of deacon but do not have a specific task will fall into the temptation that they have authority because of their title but fail to meet the standard because they are not serving. When tasks are not clearly specified, a deacon will either not serve or serve in unwanted or unnecessary ways. Since a deacon’s role is to serve the church and preserve unity, it is best that they serve in a specified individual role given to them by the elders and congregation. The only times that individual deacons will work together is when their deacon role requires the aid of another deacon. For instance, the deacon of administration may ask the deacon of hospitality to help with organizing a meal. Or the deacon of member care may send an email to the deacon of administration concerning a prayer need to be sent out to the church-wide email. Therefore, the deacons work individually to preserve unity in the church.
- What is the benefit of deacons in a church?
Deacons free up elders to shepherd the flock through the ministry of the Word and prayer. This is the most important task of the church and elders are to be given to that task. Oftentimes, elders are so busy doing everything that they neglect the ministry of the Word and prayer which is detrimental to the health of a church. Therefore, the deacons help in this way.
Deacons preserve unity in the church. Acts 6:1-7 is a great example of this. They will serve the practical needs of the church so that every perceivable need of the flock is met. When true needs go unmet, the flock gets divisive. Therefore the elders do the ministry of the Word and prayer and deacons meet practical needs. When this happens, unity is preserved and a healthy church is built.
No Comments