The Gift of Deacons

Growing up as the child of a pastor, “church talk” was generally a part of our family conversations. Staff meetings, sermon prep, upcoming events, and more, and among all of those things was the term “deacon.” There seemed to be a lot of meetings with deacons, visits to the hospital with deacons, lunches with deacons, and retreats with deacons. In my mind, there was little understanding of the real significance of not only what the word “deacon” meant but also what they did. However, as I grew, and as my knowledge of the Bible and church grew, so did my understanding of, and great appreciation for these men. Yes, they were the people my dad had to meet with on some night of the week once a month, who hand out the Lord’s Supper, and take up the offering on Sunday mornings.

These things are not what sets deacons apart; it is the God-given qualifications and desire to serve that makes a deacon. These people are members of the local church who are set apart by the Holy Spirit and by the church to help the church and maintain unity within the church.

The word “deacon” comes from the Greek worddiákanos, which means “servant.” So first and foremost, the role of the deacon is to serve the church. They do this in several ways, meeting to discuss matters of the church and how they can help, taking up the offering, serving the Lord’s Supper. Before a deacon can be ordained to serve the church, they must first have a heart that is ready to serve. We see this clearly in Paul’s letter to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 where he lays out a list of qualifications for deacons.

In verse 10, Paul makes it very clear that these people should “be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless” (emphasis mine). If the role of the deacon is to serve the church, then they must first be qualified for the task. This is why our church has a Deacons Selection Committee who gathers to carefully pray and consider the men nominated by you, the church. After prayerful consideration, with 1 Timothy 3 as the guide, they will bring these men before the church to be ordained into the role of deacon.

Everything deacons do, they do in service to the church. Everything from meeting to discuss church matters and seek God’s direction for the church to taking up your offering on a Sunday morning, the deacons are a group of men who not only serve, but love to serve FBC Starkville.

Perhaps one of the most significant ways that the deacons of FBC Starkville serve our church is by seeking to maintain unity. They do this by living out the God-given qualifications explained in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. When a deacon lives according to the criteria laid out in this passage, they accomplish two things:

1. They do not cause others to stumble (1 Corinthians 8).

2. They set a good example of godly living for other members of our congregation.

This is what it looks like for deacons to live “above reproach” (1 Tim. 3:2) and it is good for the unity of our congregation. Holding a monthly meeting with the pastor is another way to maintain unity in the church. The deacons join the pastor to hear a report regarding the ministries of our church and serve as a sounding board. The pastor or pastors cannot be everywhere at once; therefore, deacons are a good gift to the church in terms of unity as they are involved in different community groups, participate in different extracurricular activities, and run in a variety of crowds. They are able to provide feedback to the pastor that is not only helpful but necessary for the well-being and unity of the church.

I don’t know about you, but I am grateful that deacons are far more than what childhood Reid thought they were. These men are vital to our church and they are worth every meeting, lunch, and hospital visit I knew they went on. Deacons are a wonderful gift to our church. However, we must not take them for granted. This is a role within our church that requires sacrifice, and I, for one, am thankful that we have men who are up for the task. Thank God for the gift of deacons.

In light of this I want to encourage you to do a couple of things.

1. Pray for our deacons. Ask God to continue to give them direction as they serve us. Ask Him to open their eyes to ways that they can serve the church during these changing times. Thank God for them and all of the work they do to serve us.

2. Look for ways that you can serve a deacon and his family. Provide them a meal or write an encouraging letter. If nothing else, a personal thank you goes farther than we might think.