August ushers in a
very important time in the life and ministry of our church – the nomination and
election of deacons. I’d like to take a moment and discuss what the Bible
teaches regarding the office of deacon.
First of all, why do we have deacons? According to
Acts 6:1-6 the early church was experiencing tremendous growth. They were
growing numerically, but so were the number of needs within the congregation. Eventually
needs were being neglected; specifically, the needs of widows. The elders
realized that it was physically impossible for
them alone to effectively and efficiently tend to every need and care for
every person. Therefore, the congregation appointed seven men to assist the
elders in ministry. Those chosen were given the responsibility to care for the
physical needs of the congregation, which freed up the elders to address spiritual
needs through prayer and ministry of the word (v. 4). Elders were responsible
for praying and preaching, so they alone could not tend to the vast needs of
the flock. Certainly, deacons are vital to the ministry of the church.
Secondly, who may serve as a deacon? 1 Timothy
3:8-13 gives specific qualifications for anyone nominated to serve as a deacon.
Let’s briefly look at each one:
- He “must be a man
of dignity” – this refers to reputation. A deacon should be someone who is
honored and respected by those who know him well. What would someone say about
him (inside or outside the church)?
- He is “not
double-tongued” – this refers to honest speech. A deacon should be
trustworthy and credible. He should never say one thing to one person and
something else to another.
- He must be “sound
in faith and life” – while a deacon is not responsible for teaching, he does
have significant influence on the spiritual formation of others. Therefore, he should
always be pointing others toward the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- He must be “tested”
– he must have proven character. Specifics are not mentioned here, but reputation,
doctrinal convictions, and commitment to the church should be tested at the
very least. Observing and evaluating a candidate often takes time, so a church should
never nominate or elect a person who has not proven himself to be of good
character and repute.
- He “must be the husband
of only one wife” - marriage is not the context of this verse, so Paul is
not saying being married is a prerequisite for serving as a deacon; nor is Paul arguing that someone who is divorced is automatically disqualified. However, if
married, he must be committed physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually
only to his wife.
- His wife must pursue godliness – the qualifications for a deacon apply also to his wife. Together, they must shoulder the responsibility of parenting and managing the household.
I urge you to begin praying for our deacon nomination and
election process. We have a tremendous responsibility before us to choose
qualified men who also have a passion to serve. Men, whom we will appoint, will
have a vital part in the next chapter of ministry at Green Hill.
Serving Together,
Pastor Brett
