OFFICE OF DEACONS

 

DEFINITION OF DEACON:

Deacon means “servant” of the church.

Deacons have a crucial role in the life and the health of the local church, but their role is different from the elders’. The biblical role of deacons is to take care of the physical and logistical needs of the church so that the elders can concentrate on their primary calling of shepherding and teaching the church).

We see the distinction between the two offices (elders and deacons) as stated in Acts 6:1–6. The apostles were devoted “to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (v. 4). Since this was their primary calling, seven men were chosen to handle more practical matters in order to allow the apostles the freedom to continue with their work of prayer and ministry of the word.

 

  • CHOOSING DEACONS

Before one is chosen to become a deacon or deaconess, he/she is put to the test for approval, (1Tim. 3:10). We allow for some time before the judgment is made that this man should be a deacon. We give the man time to show his faithfulness and prove himself worthy of the office. We avoid choosing new converts, (1 Timothy 3:6).

At Glad Tidings Fellowship-High Glen Church, deacons’ office bearers can be, men or women, this includes youths yet to marry.

Moreover, we also examine a potential deacon’s moral, spiritual, doctrinal maturity, and also consider the person’s track record of service in the church.

We also find out with the wife, is the man is married, so that we get an understanding on personal and Christian lifestyle. The men chosen will be prayed for by the church leadership, laying hands upon them to commit them to the office for service.

 

  • THE QUALIFICATIONS OF DEACONS

Our biblical passage (1 Timothy 3:8–13), serves as our reference for qualifications to choose deacons’ office bearers. In this passage, Paul gives an official but not exhaustive list of the requirements for deacons. At Glad Tidings Fellowship, we have adopted this biblical qualifications to guide the elders in choosing deacons.

The similarities of the qualifications for deacons and elders/overseers in 1 Timothy 3 are striking. Like the qualifications for elders, a deacon must not be an addict (v. 3,), not greedy for dishonest gain (v. 3), blameless (v. 2; Titus 1:6), the husband of one wife (v. 2), and an able manager of his children and household (vv. 4–5). Furthermore, the focus of the qualifications is the moral character of the person who is to fill the office: a deacon must be mature and above reproach. The main difference between an elder and a deacon is a difference of gifts and calling, not character.

Some qualifications for deacons are identified in 1 Timothy 3:8-12 and Acts 6:3:

  1. Dignified (v. 8):This term normally refers to something that is honorable, respectable, esteemed, or worthy, and is closely related to “respectable,”;
  2. Not double-tongued (v. 8):Those who are double-tongued say one thing to certain people but then say something else to others, or say one thing but mean another. They are two-faced and insincere. Their words cannot be trusted, so they lack credibility.
  3. Not addicted to much wine (v. 8):A man is disqualified for the office of deacon if he is addicted to wine or other strong drink. Such a person lacks self-control and is undisciplined.
  4. Not greedy for dishonest gain (v. 8):If a person is a lover of money, he is not qualified to be a deacon, especially since deacons often handle financial matters for the church.
  5. Sound in faith and life (v. 9):Paul also indicates that a deacon must “hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.” The phrase “the mystery of the faith” is simply one way Paul speaks of the gospel (cf. 1 Tim. 3:16). Consequently, this statement refers to the need for deacons to hold firm to the true gospel without wavering. Yet this qualification does not merely involve one’s beliefs, for he must also hold these beliefs “with a clear conscience.” That is, the behavior of a deacon must be consistent with his beliefs.
  6. Blameless (v. 10):Paul writes that deacons must “be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless” (v. 10). “Blameless” is a general term referring to a person’s overall character. Although Paul does not specify what type of testing is to take place, at a minimum, the candidate’s personal background, reputation, and theological positions should be examined.
  1. Godly wife (v. 11): (we will assume the verse is speaking about the qualifications of a deacon’s wife). According to Paul, deacons’ wives must “be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things” (v. 11). Like her husband, the wife must be dignified or respectable. Secondly, she must not be a slanderer or a person who goes around spreading gossip. A deacon’s wife must also be sober-minded or temperate. That is, she must be able to make good judgments and must not be involved in things that might hinder such judgment. Finally, she must be “faithful in all things” (cf. 1 Tim. 5:10). This is a general requirement which functions similarly to the requirement for elders to be “above reproach” (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6) and for deacons to be “blameless” (1 Tim. 3:10).
  1. Husband of one wife (v. 12):The best interpretation of this difficult phrase is to understand it as referring to the faithfulness of a husband toward his wife. He must be a “one-woman man.” That is, there must be no other woman in his life to whom he relates in an intimate way either emotionally or physically. No background of devorce.????
  2. Manage children and household well (v. 12):A deacon must be the spiritual leader of his wife and children.
  3. Full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:3) Natural ability is important, but secondary to the motivation and empowering of the Holy Spirit. It is better to use someone who is sensitive to God and lacking natural ability.
  1. Full of wisdom (Acts 6:3) Individuals who are working in the name of leadership will need wisdom because they will find themselves in emotional situations where wisdom is demanded.

 

  • THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF DEACONS

At Glad Tidings Fellowship-High Glen church, we acknowledge that deacons, have a crucial role in the life and the health of the local church, but their role is different from the elders’. The deacons’ role is more service-oriented. Our deacons’ role is to take care of the physical or material and logistical needs of the church so that the elders can concentrate on their primary calling.

The elders delegated certain administrative responsibilities to the deacons so that they elders can focus their efforts to accomplish their God-given calling of shepherding and teaching the church. The deacons could be responsible for anything that’s not related to teaching and shepherding the church. At Glad Tidings Fellowship – High Glen church, the deacons are responsible for:

  • Facilities:Managing the church property. This includes making sure the place of worship is prepared for the worship service, cleaning up (which includes the washrooms). General Maintenance of the church buildings, utilities (water supply, electricity, fuel, toilets & sewerage system, grounds).
  • Benevolence:Similar to what took place in Acts 6:1–6 with the daily distribution to the widows, our deacons are involved in administrating funds or other assistance to the needy. Assistance given includes school fees, rentals, food, clothing, etc.
  • Finances:Our elders oversee the financial business of the church (Acts 11:30), but they have left to the deacons to handle the day-to-day matters. Amongst the deacons, we have experts in handling finances and accounting offering the services voluntarily. The duties include collecting and counting the tithes, offering, keeping records, providing accounting information to outside interested parties, like ZIMRA (Zimbabwe Revenue Authority), and allocating donations to church workers.
  • Ushering:Our deacons are responsible for, seating the congregation in the worship service or any other church gathering, maintaining order outside the church during services and assisting elders during Holy Communion services.
  • Logistics: Our deacons are responsible for all logistical arrangements, whenever this is required, (E.g. during camps, outings, conferences, and any special event held by the church). Our deacons are available to help in variety of ways.
  • Security: Our deacons are responsible for security at the church and anywhere, where this service is required.

 

CONCLUSION

Whereas the Bible charges elders with the tasks of teaching and leading the church, deacons’ role is more service-oriented. That is, they are to care for the physical or temporal concerns of the church. By handling such matters, our deacons free up the elders to focus on handling the spiritual needs of the congregation.

Yet even though deacons are not the congregation’s spiritual leaders, their character is of utmost importance, which is why we examine our deacons and hold them to the biblical qualifications laid down in 1 Timothy 3.