Deacons

Deacons

Currently, we do not have anyone serving in the office of deacon. Lord willing, as the Lord gives us deacons, we will link to their bios from this page. 


Summary Outline:*
Deacons are…
1. Shock absorbers (metaphor) for the sake of unity and so that teachers can focus on prayer and the Word
2. Part of how God has designed churches to have orderliness
3. Set aside in the local church to serve
4. Need/duty/task-specific servants for the church
5. Deacons are qualified
6. Men or women
7. Serve to a particular end


1. Deacons Are Shock-Absorbers
Here’s a bold proclamation: cars exist in order to get everyone in it from one place to another. That’s the vision, mission, and core values of a car: to go from here to there. But imagine that you spend all your money on getting a cool stereo, neon lights, personalized plates, leather heated seats, and everything else you can do to customize a car; but you didn’t have a steering wheel, shocks/struts, or even wheels. Every metaphor eventually breaks down in the end, but bear with me. The church is kind of like a car.  The church exists to glorify God, yes, it’s mission is to preach the gospel to all nations, yes. But it’s also a people with the goal of living life together until all of us reach our final destination. Each part is working together to accomplish that mission – to bring another one safely home. When have to lead funerals for you  as members of our church, one of my first thoughts will be, “Praise God, another one safe at home.” Back to the car, think of three parts – the steering wheel, the wheels, and the shocks. The steering wheel is important, because it provides the direction and keeps the focus on the direction. The wheels are important too. A car doesn’t exist if it doesn’t have wheels. The wheels submit to and follow the focused direction of the steering wheel. But the terrain isn’t always smooth. This is where the shock-absorbers come in. Without shock-absorbers the rest of the mission is at risk. There’s no stability and it can be really dangerous. There’s leadership of where the thing is going, there’s the wheels that are taking us there, but listen to how a mechanic describes describes shock-absorbers:

If you’ve ever seen a vehicle going down the highway bouncing continuously after hitting a bridge expansion joint, you’re witnessing someone who’s driving a vehicle with blown out shock absorbers, they should be asking, ‘Do I Need Shocks?’ In my opinion, driving a vehicle with bad shocks or struts can be dangerous because you cannot control you[r] vehicle from bouncing. If you were to hit a large dip or hump in the road, your tires could literally leave the pavement and cause you to lose control of your vehicle. So if you notice your vehicle not holding to the road well, it may be time to replace your struts or shocks.” [1]

In the life of the church the Lord has given us shock-absorbers in the role of deacons, to help maintain the stability in the church, so that while we have direction in the Word from elders, and we have the members who are growing in doing the work of the ministry, we don’t hit a road bump and lose complete control of everything.

2. Deacons Are Part Of How God Has Designed Churches To Have Orderliness
It’s good for churches to be orderly. A lot of us intuitively know this. This is why we join churches and submit to the authority and the order. But, if you’ve been abused by the misuse of authority, or if you’ve seen a bunch of problems in churches in the past and there hasn’t been clear teaching on how, from the Bible, a church should be ordered; this is something that you might be tempted to reject. No matter what perspective your coming from – (1) unthinkingly seeing church order as good, or (2) rejecting it because it’s bad – we need to look at God’s Word and consider that orderliness is good, but also what kind of orderliness is good. We can’t go off of our intuition. God commends orderliness and structure in His churches. Paul wrote in Colossians 2:5, “For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.” Both “good order” (τάξινtaxin”) and “firmness” (στερέωμαsteroma”) are military terms. Many have rightly referred to the church as the “church militant”, so a church without order can descend into disunity and division in the face of it’s challenges and in the face of attacks in this world. Listen to 1 Corinthians 14:40, “But all things should be done decently and in order.” Paul gives that exhortation to the Corinthian church in the face of it’s disunity over leaders, it’s misunderstanding of how a church should think about the sin in the people who claim to be Christians, in the face of a congregation that is pursuing lawsuits against each other, and in the face of adopting methods and practices that were undermining the unity of the church centered on the gospel. 1 Cor. 14:40 flows not primarily out of the innate orderliness and decency of men, but the orderliness of God seven verses before in 1 Corinthians 14:33a, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” Confusion there can also be translated as “disorder.” God is an orderly God, and we see His orderliness in what His church. This is why the good news of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ is so powerful. Jesus was the perfect fulfillment of the law, He perfectly met the demands of God’s orderliness to save confused and disordered people like us. And friend if you aren’t trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation from His wrath, you may feel like you have control over an ordered life, but in just a moment one small thing, unemployment, death of a loved one, or whatever can expose what you think is an orderly life as complete chaos. God’s churches reflect His character in pursuing orderliness. And don’t hear me saying that this is a pursuit of legalism and harshness, but in the context of our hope in the gospel, and in the pursuit of self-sacrificing love, over-looking offense, and understanding. Consider Titus 1:5, “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.” Paul wasn’t advocating whatever order just seemed right to each church depending on the culture that each church lived in. His primary concern wasn’t what some people think of as cultural contextualization and so-called “incarnational ministry”. The orderliness he was concerned with was what we often call church polity or church government.  The structure of a particular, local, congregation assembling together as a covenanted body. Church structure is important. That doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been abused and misapplied before in churches, and it doesn’t mean that just because a church has biblical church order in the offices of Elders and Deacons that that will lead to a healthy local church, but a healthy local church will have or be growing toward having a Biblical church structure. In a few months we’ll begin considering this from 1 and 2 Timothy. For now though, we’re considering one element of that order, polity, structure, or government – deacons.

3. Deacons Are People Set Aside In The Church To Serve
Here is Article 13 of our Statement of Faith:

[T]he only scriptural officers of a church are Elders and Deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus.”

And we see these two offices mentioned in Philippians 1:1. Consider 1 Timothy 3:8-13

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued [Or devious in speech], not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must [or Wives, likewise, must or Women, likewise, must] be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”

“What are Deacons?” The first word of verse 8 is the Greek word “Diakonous” (Διακόνους) or “deacons”. Let’s get into the weeds for a minute, “Diakonous” is a noun in the accusative case. That means it’s a direct object receiving the action of the verb in the sentence. It’s a masculine word in the plural from “diakonos” which BDAG, the most thorough Greek lexicon out there, describes refers to someone, “who is busy with something in a manner that is of assistance to someone…one who serves as an intermediary to a transaction, an agent, intermediary, or courier…one who gets something done at the behest of a superior, assistant.” It could also be translated as “a waiter”, “servant”, “administrator”, or “one who performs a service”.

That’s the basic thing of what a deacon is; someone who is serving, but there’s more, look at the next word: “likewise”. “Likewise” is an adverb telling us that we’re going to see something similar to what we saw above. And in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 we saw what Paul describes as the eldership. Look at 3:1, “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” Then He lists a bunch of qualifications. Elders were the principle thing that Paul describes in how local churches grow in orderliness that is pleasing and reflective of the orderliness of God himself. So, here, in verse 8 we see a second element of local church orderliness – Deacons. Similar to how those who are eldering are set apart and recognized as elders so those who are deaconing should be set apart as deacons are as well. 

All Christians are called to serve “diakonos”. If you read through the New Testament you’ll see that all of the qualifications of deacons are things that all Christians are exhorted to pursue. Jesus taught that, “the greatest among you shall be your servant [diakonos].” (Matt. 20:26; 23:11; Mark 9:35; 10:43) Jesus said, “If anyone serves [diakone] me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant [diakonos] be also. If anyone serves [diakone] me, the Father will honor him.” (John 12:26) Paul calls the rulers – not of the church, but rulers of the government that we live under, even secular rulers – God’s, “God’s servant [diakonos] for your good,” twice (Romans 13:4). Paul describes that he was a servant [diakonos] of the gospel in Ephesians 3:7 and Colossians 1:23. Paul describes that Tychicus is a fellow servant [diakonos] repeatedly (Acts 20:4; Eph. 6:21; Colossians 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 3:12). Paul describes Epaphras as a servant [diakonos] in Colossians 1:7. And even Timothy as he faithfully discharges his duties to read the Word, preach the Word, being sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill his ministry, and do everything that Paul teaches in 1 Timothy that he will be a good servant [diakonos] of Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 4:6). So, there’s a sense in which every Christian is a servant, and there’s a sense in which even the elders are servants, but context is king, and in 1 Timothy 3:8 this is a role or office that is part of the order and structure of a local church. And this may seem like I’m stating the obvious, but elders and deacons are not the same thing. These aren’t two words describing the same offices.

4. Deacons Are Need/Duty/Task-specific Servants For The Church
Before we get into the qualifications, let’s consider more about the function of the office of Deacon. Many refer to Acts 6:1-7 as a prototype of how local churches ought to think about the division of roles between teachers and practical needs ministry:

1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists [That is, Greek-speaking Jews] arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve [diakonein] tables. Therefore, brothers [Or brothers and sisters], pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry [diakonia] of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

A. Deacons Are One of the Two Types of Service in the Church
There are two types of deaconing here in an official, recognized capacity in the local church here: (1) Deaconing tables, and (2) Deaconing prayer and the ministry of the Word. Deaconing prayer and the ministry of the Word has been passed on through the office of elders. Both elders and deacons are offices of service. The official role or office of deacon in a local church particularly corresponds to the deaconing of tables. Deacons aren’t necessarily limited to only serving food to members, but to meet specific needs or tasks in the church. Like these men who were to make sure the Greek widows had food, a deacon is an official role within a local church set aside for the sake meeting a need in order to build up unity. Unity in the sense that all the members of the church are cared for and that favoritism, preference, and partiality isn’t ruling the day. Deacons are God’s solution to local churches to fill the need for practical help. This reminds me of James 2:15-17: “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” This is one aspect of a local church, it doesn’t just excel in well-wishing, and in prayer, but in activity recognizing that we as a church are often God’s answer to our prayer for the help of our fellow members, and in James 2 it’s the particular activity for the help of a brother or sister. That’s not just a reference to anyone in the world, but brothers and sisters in Christ. Here’s how Paul put it in Galatians 6:10, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Deacons are one instrument God has given local churches to help all of us accomplish this “doing good” to outsiders and especially insiders. God’s design for how to build up a local church in unity is first and foremost what it believes, and teaches, but what flows out from that is God’s further design for a local church – people identified by the congregation, qualified, set apart, and assigned to the task of serving in specific ways. This structure is designed to support the healthy growth of the local church, and to preserve its unity. Another way that this promotes unity in the local church is that it frees the deacons of the Word, preachers and teachers or pastor/elders, to be able to give themselves to prayer and study, preparation, and preaching the Word. This doesn’t mean that elders never get into people’s lives and never serve in practical ways, they do, but it isn’t their primary role. God recognizes that as people we are limited, so He’s given us these specific roles in a local church to help us set men apart in an undistracted manner to the service that will feel less relevant to our flesh, but is more important than anything else – prayer and the Word. But God recognizes that the priority of preaching in a local church shouldn’t squelch out the church’s commission to care for it’s members, so by God’s grace He has given local churches the official role or office of a deacon.

B. Deacons Are Need, Task, or Duty Specific
The last word of Acts 6:4 makes this clear, deacons are tasked with a specific duty or to fulfill a specific need. I’m being intentionally painfully obvious here. Deacons are dispatched to fulfill a need, not to exercise authority in the church. The office of deacon exists to heal division, and support those who preach the Word in a local church – like a shock-absorber smooths out the ride of a car. Often the things that deacons do are the things that congregation feels most that it needs. When a church doesn’t have deacons, things don’t run as smoothly. Things get missed. It makes life together more confused and disorderly. Brothers and sisters, it’s not just our church, it was in the early church that was taught and led by the Apostles of Christ who felt this too. From facilitating member care, those who facilitate community outreach, those who organize the children’s ministry, those who make the coffee, or whatever; if you feel that these kinds of things are lacking, you’re right, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the role of the teachers and preachers to do everything from all the discipleship and counseling, all the hospital visits, all the mercy ministries, all the member care, all the discipling, and all the everything. If that’s the case, when I die, the church deflates like a balloon. My role as an elder is that I am set apart by God – through you all as His church – to give myself to prayer and preaching, and to equipping you all for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11-12). As God raises up needs among us, and as He gives us members who meet the biblical qualifications of what a deacon is, we ought to install deacons and get about our mission of making disciples of all nations, and love each other well through practical help.

5. Deacons Are Qualified (9 deacon qualifications)
Deacons are qualified. We see this in Acts 6:3, “Therefore, brothers [referring to the church], pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.” But the qualifications are the bulk of what we see in 1 Timothy 3:8-10, “dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain, hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience, tested and found blameless.”

A.Dignified” can also mean honorable and serious. This doesn’t mean he or she never laughs at a joke, or can’t ever have fun. But is he or she serious about serious things. When they go to serve that table, or help with wedding coordination, or do the hospital visit, will this person point the people they serve to Christ, or they just make light of everything and do less “shock-absorbing” and cause more instability in the life of the church.

B.Double-tongued” can also mean deceit. Does this person tell the truth? Do they say one thing to one person and do another thing. Do they let their “yes” be “yes” and their “no” be “no.” Do they tell some people some things and others other things. Again, are they absorbing the shock that a church inevitably will hit on the sojourning road we are on in this fallen world, or do the create more shock to the church.

C. The next line is that they aren’t to be “addicted to much wine.” A more rigid translation of this would be, “not to drink much wine.” This doesn’t mean that they don’t drink wine, but much wine. Is drinking something that they are known for? Also, let’s not deceive ourselves. Alcohol can be dangerous. Are those who would serve as deacons able to say that they would abstain from wine in the vein of Romans 14:21, “It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.” Or Ephesians 5:18, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Again, these passages don’t mean they can never have alcohol, but is that what they are known for? Do they approach alcohol with wisdom? Is it an addiction to them?

D.Greedy for dishonest gain” – is this a person who lies so they might have a more visible role in the life of the church. Is this a “me” monster – always concerned with themselves. When you talk to them, do they ever ask about you or others, or do they always talk about themselves.

E. Do they hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. Here are a number of questions Thabiti Anyabwile asks to get at discerning this: (1) Does the prospective deacon give a credible profession of personal saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? (2) Does the prospective deacon understand the gospel? (3) Is the prospective deacon given to falling away from the faith? (4) Does the prospective deacon bring the truth of the gospel and the Scripture to bear in his or her life and ministry? (5) Does the prospective deacon hold the deep truths of the faith without reservation? (6) Is the prospective deacon someone who perseveres in the faith? [2] Brothers and sisters, it takes time to know people, to not only ask these questions, but then to discern them in the lives of others. We don’t just appoint people as deacons because they give the most money to the church, because they have more friends than anyone else in the church, or because they’ve been around the longest. In 50 years, if we’re still alive, we may all still be here, and we may end up having a deacon or even an elder who is 20 years younger than us – for some of us that’s the case now! – but that’s okay. Because we aren’t looking primarily for age here, but these qualifications.

F. They should be tested. This doesn’t mean that we literally give them a written exam, or even that we set up some kind of gauntlet to test their strength like a knight trying to win the kiss of a princess. No, we just look at their life. What do they do when they suffer? How do they fight their sin? How do they respond when fellow members suffer? In the normal ebb and flow of life how do they live? How do they respond in the face of insults and persecution? They seem faithful and great at church, but then when they’re watching sports with their buddies or are out with some gossiping girlfriends – how do they act? Do they deny worldliness and ungodliness for the glory of Christ, or do they just jump in there with the rest of the world like Christ isn’t worth living for.

G. And “prove themselves blameless” doesn’t mean they are perfect, but it’s kind of the like the qualification for elders “above reproach”. Can people bring charges against these deacon candidates that they don’t meet these qualifications? It’s like when you’re at a wedding and the pastor says, “If anyone knows why these two should not be wed, speak now, or forever hold your peace.” Then silence…

H. In verse 12, we see that male deacons are to be “one woman men”. This doesn’t mean that men who aren’t married cannot serve, and it doesn’t mean that men who who have been divorced or who have repented of adultery or polygamy could never qualify as a deacon – although we would want to see a good span of time between that and now. It’s speaking to the man’s life as it is now. Does he have a track record of being devoted to His wife? Does he have mistresses, concubines, girlfriends, etc. Is he a serial adulterer, and is he giving himself to pornography and masturbation. Is he a one woman man?

I. And lastly how does he manage his household? What is his relationship like with his kids? Again, this doesn’t mean that if a man doesn’t have children he can’t be a deacon. But if he does, what is that relationship like? Deacons must be qualified if they would serve in this particular role in the church.

6. Deacons Are Men Or Women [3]
The deacon is not a teaching office in the church, and doesn’t exercise authority over the congregation in the teaching office of elders. Elders are an extension of the authority that Christ has given to the congregation. Elders take up that authority and lead and pastor the flock. Deacons, then, are servants under the authority of the oversight of elders. It’s important that we understand this. Many churches teach that women are not to be deacons, first because Acts 6 shows that it was only men who were appointed there. But, second, because they are often confusing the roles of elders and deacons. When deacons wrongly begin to take on the responsibilities of elders, it’s easy to see why they take passages like 1 Timothy 2:12, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet,” and don’t allow women to serve in that way. But, that’s not what deacons do. And further, Acts 6 doesn’t exclude women, and since it is not the only text about deacons we must consider the full teaching of Scripture.

First, consider 1 Timothy 3:11: “Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.” If your Bible says, “wives,” you’ll probably see a footnote that says, “Wives, likewise, must,” or, “Women, likewise, must,” at the bottom of the page. The word for “wives” there is “gunaikas” (γυναῖκας). The most plain translation of that is “women”. Listen to the New American Standard Bible renders it: “Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.” That same word “gunaikas” is used to refer to a deacon’s wife in verse 12, “a one woman man”, but that’s not the same construction, and grammatically only refers to the relationship to the man in verse 12, and it doesn’t affect the meaning of verse 11.

Second, “deacon” is used to refer to Phoebe in Romans 16:1, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant [diakonos] of the church which is at Cenchrea.” Servant there is the word “deacon”, and look at how Paul instructs the church to receive her in verse 2, “that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.” Is he using deacon in the official capacity in an office in the local church of Cenchrea or as we considered earlier as simply what all Christians are called to do? It seems that she’s a deacon of the church. And he commends the Roman her to the Roman Christians similar to how a deacon would function, “help her in whatever matter she may have need of you.” Deacons may be men or women. And if we confuse what elders and deacons are, we rob the local church of people whom God’s Word would not deny us to have serve in a set apart role in the church for the sake of unity and help so that men who are in the teaching and leadership office of the church might be able to focus on the ministry of the Word and prayer. Some of this repeats what has already been written, but it may be helpful to read this position from the New Testament scholar Tom Schreiner as well:

It is also argued that women functioned in official positions in the church because they held the office of deacon. Many scholars have argued that this is the most probable interpretation of 1 Timothy 3:11. In 1 Timothy 3:8-10 and 12, the qualifications are given for men who are to serve as deacons. In 3:11, Paul says: “Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things” (NASB). The word for “women” here (gunaikas) could be translated “wives” (as in NIV) [see also the ESV but note the footnote in the ESV too], and that is the view of some commentators. The following reasons are given to support the idea that Paul is speaking of women deacons: (1) Paul introduces the women mentioned here in the same fashion he introduced the men in 1 Timothy 3:8, i.e., he uses the word likewise. In 3:1-7, Paul lays out the qualifications for elders, and in 3:8 Paul says likewise there are similar qualifications for deacons. The likewise in 3:11 suggests that the qualifications for men who are deacons also apply to women deacons. (2) If Paul were speaking to wives of deacons, he could have made this very clear by adding of deacons (diakonon or auton). By leaving the word women without any modifier, he implied that he was speaking of women in general, not just the wives of deacons. (3) The qualifications Paul mentions in 3:12 are identical with or similar to those required of deacons, and this suggests that an office is in view. 

Further evidence that women functioned as deacons is found in the case of Phoebe. In Romans 16:1, Paul says that she was “a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae” (RSV). Actually, the word deaconess here is the same as the one used in 1 Timothy 3:8 and Philippians 1;1, where Paul writes of deacons. Thus, Paul is not calling Phoebe a “deaconess,” but a “deacon,” some have claimed. In addition, Phoebe is called a leader (prostatis) in Romans 16:2. The most commonly used translations (RSVNASBNIV) use the word help or helper here, but it has been claimed that this term is a technical one used for a legal protector or leader. If such an interpretation is correct, Paul here recommends Phoebe as a deacon and as a leader of many. [4]

7. Deacons Serve To A Particular End
Look at 1 Timothy 3:13 again, “For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.” Friends, we are saved by grace through faith alone in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ alone. This is why we are here. We are a local church because we are turning from putting our hope and trust in ourselves and setting our hope and trust in Jesus Christ alone. And if you’re not a Christian your first concern isn’t necessarily the order of the local church, but whether or not you have a saving interest in the blood of Christ. Friend, turn from your sin and trust in the death and resurrection of Christ. God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – made all things and He made us. We are accountable to Him, and we have all sinned against Him. We deserve His eternal wrath for our sin, and there’s nothing we can do to overcome our sin and what we deserve. But God, sent His only son – Jesus Christ – fully man and fully God. He lived the perfect life that none of us have lived. He died the death that His people deserve as a substitute, and in His death He perfectly satisfied God’s wrath that we deserve for our sin. He took our shame and bore the wrath we deserve. Then three days after He died for us, He rose again for us. Christ has conquered sin and death, and He ascended to the right hand of God the Father. Our hope is in what God has done. Now while we await the return of our King Jesus, He is building His church and setting it in order to help each of us persevere to the very end. And those who serve well as deacons only grow in their confidence in their Faith in Jesus Christ. This isn’t a lesser office, but an office that reflects our King who came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. Deacons are arrows pointing to the gospel of Jesus Christ. As deacons serve the church we learn in a very small way a little more of how Christ served us. Brothers and sisters, pray that the Lord would give us more elders and deacons.


[1] Last accessed April 8, 2016: http://www.simple-car-answers.com/Do-I-need-Shocks.html
[2] Anyabwile, Thabiti Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 37-9.
[3] If you consider our church constitution Article 5, Section 7 you can see that we call women deacons deaconesses. This isn’t a separate office in our church but simply a recognition of the fact that men or women may be recognized as deacons.
[4] Schreiner, Tom R. The Valuable Ministries of Women in the Context of Male Leadership: A Survey of Old and New Testament Examples and Teaching in Recovering Biblical Manhood & Womanhood, A Response to Evangelical Feminism Ed. John Piper & Wayne Grudem (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2006), 213-4.

*
 Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the English Standard Version