What is a Deacon?

Originally published September 16, 2021

In our present situation as a young church plant, we didn't really have a need for deacons because it was rather easy for me to keep up with everybody with visitation and regular communication. However, now that we've not only added people numerically to our congregation, but also have gained a facility that needs taken care of, the workload has increased to the extent that one person cannot possibly be expected to keep up with everything. Thus, it is important for our church to do what the apostles told the early church to do in Acts 6:3, "Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty." The duty referred to is spoken of as "[serving] tables," (Acts 6:2) and the distribution of daily sustenance to the widows, but the idea extends to both what we would consider congregational care and in a sense, facilities management. What Acts 6 tells us is that the purpose of a deacon is to take up these sorts of work, so that the elders could focus on prayer and to the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4). Or in other words, deacons focus on more temporal needs while the elders focus on more spiritual needs (of course, there is significant overlap--elders can and should care for temporal needs and deacons can and should care for spiritual needs, but the role of the deacon is focused on temporal needs while the role of the elder is focused on spiritual needs). Because of that overlap, there are certain qualifications that are almost identical for deacons and elders within the church; in fact, with the exception of one qualification (the qualification of being apt to teach), the rest of qualifications are almost word-for-word identical.

What are the qualifications for deacons?

Often when considering new deacons in a local church, the conversation turns to their experience--what sort of education does the person have? What sort of life experience does the person have? And while those questions are important to ask, the reality is that the Scriptures aren't as concerned with these types of questions as they are with questions concerning the individual's spiritual maturity and character. From Acts 6:1-7, we see that there were certain characteristics that they were to look for in a deacon, "men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom," but Acts 6 isn't the only passage that talks about qualifications of deacons; in fact, both Acts 6 isn't even remotely a comprehensive list of qualifications whatsoever. 1 Timothy 3:8-12, however, gives a more comprehensive list:

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. -- 1 Timothy 3:8-12 (ESV)

Combining Acts 6:1-7 and 1 Timothy 3:8-12, we have this as a comprehensive list:

• Deacons are to be of good repute and dignified (Acts 6:3; 1 Timothy 3:8)

• Deacons are to be full of the Spirit (Acts 6:3)

• Deacons are to be wise (Acts 6:3)

• Deacons are to be sincere (cf. double-tongued would be insincere and inauthentic) (1 Timothy 8:3)

• Deacons are not to be addicted to drinking (and I would argue that this would extend to addiction to any substance or sin) (1 Timothy 3:8)

• Deacons are not to be greedy for dishonest gain--this is the idea of shameful practices in business that bring unearned profit to the individual (1 Timothy 3:8)

• Deacons are to be faithful--they are to be firm in their faith and their lives are to be lived without inconsistencies. To the extent that deacons are to prove themselves prior to being made deacons (1 Timothy 3:9-10)

• If married, the deacon's wife is to exemplify a godly woman--dignified, not a slanderer, sober-minded, and faithful in all things (1 Timothy 3:11)

• If married, deacons are to be faithful to his spouse--the passage literally is translated that a deacon is to be a one-woman man. This then suggests that if the deacon isn't married, he should not be a "ladies' man" or a "womanizer" of any sort. (1 Timothy 3:12)

• If the deacon has children within their household, he should manage his children and his household well. (1 Timothy 3:12)

It is worth noting, that the qualifications for deacons are almost identical to the qualifications for elders. There is only one qualification for elders that differs from that of deacons, which is found in 1 Timothy 3:2, "able to teach" and Titus 1:9, "able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it." So, accordingly deacons and elders each have the same qualifications with the exception that deacons don't need to be able to teach.

What does a deacon do?

Once a church determines that a person fits the qualifications of deaconship and that individuals actually wants to be a deacon, the next question really is, what does a deacon do? This question is a little bit difficult to answer, because the Bible doesn't give much insight into what a deacon does, but utilizing some discernment and critical thinking skills, we can determine some of their purpose from the texts that speak of both elders and deacons. When we read about the role of elders or pastors in the New Testament, we see that elders are supposed to teach and preach the Word of God and shepherd the souls under their care (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Hebrews 13:17; Titus 1:5-16). Deacons are also vital in the church because the role of a deacon is to handle the physical and logistical needs of the church so that the elders/pastors can focus on teaching, preaching, and shepherding (Benjamin Merkle, "The Biblical Qualifications and Responsibilities of Deacons," March 31, 2010). Because elders are to be focused more on the spiritual needs of the congregation, Acts 6 shows us that the deacons handled more practical matters in order to allow the elders to focus on their work.

In our modern-day churches, the role of deacon has been confused and muddled. Many Baptist churches have turned the office of a deacon into a quasi-elder position in which the deacons have control over the pulpit, the pastor, and the spiritual well-being of the church without necessarily being the "pastor" of the church. Some churches have neglected the office of a deacon to the extent that they either don't have deacons or their deacons really have no role. The reality is that deacons have a vital role in the church and when that office is neglected, churches suffer. And since Scripture is clear that deacons aren't required to be able to teach and that the elders are the one who labor in preaching, teaching, and shepherding, what exactly do deacons do?

Probably the easiest way to define the role of a deacon is to look at the word deacon itself. Deacon is a transliteration of the Greek word διακονος. This Greek word can be translated literally as servant. A deacon is a servant "who renders service and help to others . . . [as] a trusted officer of helps and service in the local church." (Bill Mounce, "διακονος," n.d.) This is what we see in Acts 6 when the disciples are told to pick men who can labor in providing congregational care to the widows. Whereas elders are to oversee the spiritual well-being of the congregation, deacons are to focus on service-oriented ministries. In our modern-day church world, this can look very different depending on the needs of the individual church, but here are some examples in how biblical deacons serve today:

• Financial advice and record-keeping

• Ushers to take up the offering and to distribute the elements for the Lord's Supper

• Logistics

• Benevolence

• Facilities and property maintenance

• Congregational Care

Conclusion

Deacons exist in the local church primarily to serve the local church and to help the elders by handling more service-oriented concerns. They are to handle the temporal needs of the church so that the elders can focus on the spiritual needs of the church. So, deacons are not exactly the spiritual leaders of the church, but they are the servants of the church that assist wherever they're needed.

In our local context, at Grace & Peace Bible Church, our deacons are to meet the same qualifications as listed in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. In addition, we require potential deacons to have been members in good standing for at least six months prior to being chosen as a deacon (this allows the congregation time to determine the spiritual maturity and character of the individual). Our deacons, in line with Acts 6:1-6, will assist the pastors in every aspect of ministry in the church with the exception of preaching and teaching (though this doesn't mean that a deacon will never preach nor teach). While the pastors lead in matters of spirituality and set the vision and direction for the church, the deacons assist in all temporal matters of the church. Like the disciples in Acts 6, the congregation may submit recommendations for deacons based on the number of vacancies (as set by the pastors). From that list, the pastors submit nominations to the congregation for voting. Our deacons serve for a minimum of three years until he either resigns or is dismissed by an unanimous vote by the pastors. (cf., Grace & Peace Bible Church Constitution & Bylaws, November 8th, 2020).

As our church grows, we will need more elders and deacons. Hopefully, this information will help you to make an informed decision when voting for more deacons in the future. Because our deacons will assist in all the temporal needs of the church, including congregational care, facilities management, benevolence, logistics, and financial advice and record keeping; and according to Scripture, whoever serves as a deacon must live a life that fits the qualifications set forth in the Bible.

A biblical deacon is precisely what the word deacon says. He is a servant that willingly and faithfully serves his church, his congregation, and his pastors by utilizing his spiritual gifts in such a way as to meet the temporal needs of the local body of Jesus Christ.