As I continue this series about deacons, we must realize that the role of deacons has become convoluted and has sadly evolved into something it was never meant to be. Denominations and local churches obviously utilize the role of deacons differently. Some allow women to serve as deacons, while some do not. Some allow divorced individuals to serve, while others do not. Some put their deacons in public view, while others utilize them behind the scenes. Some see deacons as having authority, while others see them strictly as servants. The list of differences goes on and on. I am often asked, "With so many different opinions on spiritual things (ie- the role of deacons), how can we know who is correct?" The answer is simple... search the Scriptures. God is not now, nor has He ever been confused regarding His blueprint for the Church. The confusion comes when we try to explain what we think the Scriptures say, rather than taking the time to research the original languages, intent, and context of the passage.
Confusion over the role of deacon often results when churches operate out of tradition, elect novices, allow people who came from other denominations to serve without training, permit those who served as deacons in other churches of like faith to serve without any vetting, etc. Too often, deacons bring baggage and preconceived ideas that may not be biblical. I remember sitting in a deacon training meeting in which a couple of men stated something to the effect, "We've been deacons for 30 years, know how to do this, and we don't need to be trained." I was stunned! Where was the servant spirit? Where was the desire to learn how to serve more effectively? Every believer is a work in progress and should be a life-long student of the Word. Pastors, teachers, managers, and employees in all walks of life attend training seminars and are required to take CEU's. How much more should the servants of God who deal with eternal matters be desiring and seeking deeper understanding as we sharpen our skills? With that in mind, let's begin examining the qualifications of deacons.
The first requirement for anyone to serve as deacon is that they MUST BE A PROVEN SERVANT. As I mentioned in my previous post, according to Acts 6, deacons were "assigned" or "appointed" with the specific task of problem solving for the sake of maintaining unity in the church. Ironic that many of the problems and much of the disunity seen in today's churches is often caused by deacons. My personal opinion is that a person should be a member of the local congregation for an extended period of time, before ever being considered or permitted to serve as a deacon. 1 Timothy 3:10 states, "Let them first be proved or tested..." The local church provides a good venue to observe a person's character life, family, business dealings, integrity, humility, willingness to serve others, and the depth of spiritual maturity prior to selecting any person as a deacon. The evaluation of deacons should continue even after their selection and during their time of service. As a side note: Every church's bylaws should clearly state the process for selecting deacons and removing deacons. Deacons should be held accountable to and by their Pastor/Elders and local congregation.
So, as a church family begins to examine the qualifications of deacon candidates, it must first look for people who have been tried and tested...PROVEN SERVANTS. The church must look for those who are spiritually mature and see the role of deacon as a servant of the church. Candidates must be willing to carryout the tasks assigned to them and to unconditionally support the Pastor/Elders... unless they do something illegal, immoral, unethical, or heretical. Any church that rushes the process, fails to follow the Scriptural vetting process, chooses deacons based on affluence or popularity, and/or fails to include clear steps outlining the selection and removal of deacons in their bylaws; will soon find themselves in the middle of a mess and "ruled" by ungodly deacons. Remember, the role of a deacon was God's idea and we must follow His plan for His Church!
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