Deacons in 2023

All of God’s designs and structures for his church are good. He founded his church through the blood of his Son (Acts 20:28). He chose who would be part of his church through his choice before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). He reconciled his enemies to himself so that we might be at peace with him (Romans 5:10). He reconciled us one to another removing the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14). He gave us apostles and prophets to lay the foundational teaching of the church with Jesus Christ being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). The church then is the pillar and buttress of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).

Because God is not a God of confusion, everything ought to be done in an orderly fashion (1 Corinthians 14:33). The structure of the church is one of a body with many members (1 Corinthians 12:12) and one head who is Christ (Ephesians 4:15). Within the members of the church there are two ongoing offices described in Scripture: elders and deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-13). These exist because of God’s divine wisdom for the proper functioning and good of his church.

Deacons and elders are distinct from each other. They are not the same office and therefore require a different kind of work. While there may be other positions we create for the proper functioning of the church (treasurer, Sunday School superintendent, etc.), the offices of elder and deacon are the only offices given by God to the church. This alone immediately elevates the importance of the offices and explains why such lofty qualifications are required to hold these positions.

Elders are also called overseers and have the primary task of shepherding, leading, teaching, defending, and overseeing the church (see Acts 20:17-38; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1 Peter 5:1-4). They are to be men who are above reproach and able to teach. Deacons are to share the same character qualities as elders but are not required to be able to teach. This significant difference highlights the distinction between elders and deacons.

Deacons are named after the Greek word used for their title: diakonos. This word is most often translated as “servant” (see, for example, Matthew 23:11-12). But in 1 Timothy, it refers to a formal office in the church, whose occupants “are ordained to formal, public service in the life of the church” (Matt Smethurst, Deacons: How They Serve and Strengthen the Church). One dictionary defines “diakonos” this way: “One who gets something done, at the behest of a superior, assistant to someone… One who serves as an assistant in a [religious] context, attendant, assistant, aide” (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament). Some churches consider anyone who serves to be a deacon. Others consider deacons the governing board of the church. Still others consider deacons to be ministry coordinators, A/V specialists, or janitors. But deacons are best biblically understood as being assistants to the elders. Matt Smethurst plainly states, “deacons—rightly understood and deployed—are an irreplaceable gift to Christ’s church. They are model servants who excel in being attentive and responsive to tangible needs in the life of the church” (Smethurst, Deacons). Alexander Strauch, after careful study of Scripture, adds, “Deacons are the formal assistants to the elders” (Alexander Strauch, Paul’s Vision for the Deacons: Assisting the Elders with the Care of God’s Church).

We have been blessed as a church to have two deacons who have faithfully served the Lord and us through the years. Yet, we understand with the growth of the church we need to supplement this office. If the Lord allows, in 2023 we plan to search for men within the congregation who are qualified for the office of deacon. Our goal is to appoint biblically qualified men for this important office, who can assist the elders in caring for the “tangible needs of the church,” which in turn enables the elders to be devoted to prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4).

For more information on the office of deacon and the nomination process at WSLCC, see the Sunday School teachings below. (A second video will be added on 2/12.)