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Deacon Mike Lloyd, President
The New Testament
gives clear indication Deacons in the local church (1 Tim. 3:1-13).In the early
church, Deacons are those who rendered service in the church. In other words, a
Deacon is a servant. Deacons give needed assistance in the various ministries
of the local body of believers. (1 Tim. 4:14; Heb. 13:17),
Duties and
Service
According to Scripture
a Deacon has many duties and roles for service within the church (Matt.
20:16-28). outlined below are some duties of a Deacon:
A. Caring for the
people, other Christians and especially for other members of the congregation,
for three reasons, first, for the physical well being of those concerned,
second, for their spiritual well-being, and third: as a witness to those
outside (Jn.13:13).
B. To head off
disunity in the church (Acts 6:1-4). To build up one another and encourage one
another (Rom. 1:11-12) for the common good, edifying and uniting the church in
the ministry of Deacons (1 Cor. 14:26).
C. To support the
ministry of the Word (Acts 6:3). Deacons will serve the church as a whole by
helping with responsibilities that the main teachers cannot perform. They
should fundamentally encourage and support the ministry of the Elders.
D. Assist the Elders
in administering the Lord’s Supper (Jn. 12:2; Lk. 10:40, 17:8; Acts 6:1-2).
Qualifications
Along with Elders,
Deacons have specific qualifications that are clearly outlined in Scripture.
Each member of the Council of Deacons should be an active member of the church
and possess the qualifications described in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. The
qualifications for deacons can be divided into two different categories: personal
character and spiritual character.
Personal
Character:
(a) Men of dignity,
reverent, they must be worthy of respect, serious minded, not treating serious
things lightly (1 Timothy 3:8; Titus 2:2).
(b) Not
double-tongued; not a malicious gossip (1 Timothy 3:8).
(c) Not addicted to
wine; they are noted for their sobriety (1 Timothy 3:8).
(d) Not fond of gain
and greedy for money (1 Timothy 3:8; 6:9).
Spiritual
Character:
(a) Must hold “to the
mystery of the faith with a clear conscience,” must have convictions based on
the knowledge of true biblical doctrine (1 Timothy 3:9).
(b) Must be men
already tested and proved to be faithful (1 Timothy 3:10).
(c) Morally pure in
every way (1 Timothy 3:10, 12).
(d) Leads his family
well and the husband of one wife (1 Timothy 3:12).
A Deacons
Wife:
(a) Reverent, serious
in mind and character; not silly or flippant about important matters (1 Timothy
3:11).
(b) Not slanderers,
must not be malicious gossips (1 Timothy 3:11).
(c) Temperate, alert,
vigilant, clear-headed, sober (1 Timothy 3:11).
(d) Faithful in all
things, absolutely trustworthy in all aspects of their lives and ministries (1 Timothy 3:11).