DEACONS IN THE CHURCH


Rev. Dr. Ronald Lehenbauer


Please read St. Luke 22:24-27. Jesus said, "I am among you as one who serves." (Greek: DIAKONON - "one who serves"). In effect, Jesus calls Himself a Deacon, one who serves.

Please also read Acts 6-8, 1 Timothy 3:8-16, and work through the Bible Study "Deacons in the New Testament Church and Today."


1. WHAT IS A DEACON?

The Church, established by God, is described in the Holy Scriptures as a community of believers or disciples nurtured by the Word of God and the Sacraments, on Christ's mission of salvation, hope and love in the world, waiting and working for the day of Christ's appearing in glory, and directed by those who are mature in faith.
In the New Testament "Deacon" is a title of one of the leading orders of ministers in the Church.  Its institution is commonly related to the account in Acts 6 of the selection and ordination of the Seven, to assist the Twelve Apostles, in the administrative functions of the Church.
In the Lutheran Church of St. John a Deacon is a member of the congregation who is displaying in his/her life a mature faith and a loyal, faith-filled commitment to Christ and to His Church; he/she has completed special training as a Deacon-candidate and has been chosen by the congregation as a special servant of Christ for leadership in our midst.  "Deacon" comes from a Greek word, DIACONIA, which means "service."  Christ Jesus Himself is our model and goal Luke 22:27).  Stephen the martyr and Philip (Acts 6-8) are also examples and models in the early Church.   The Apostle Paul considered the position of Deacon, for those who serve well, a position of "high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 3:13)  The Deacons assist the Pastor and Elders in leading and directing the work of the church.


2. WHAT DOES A DEACON DO?

The answer to this question varies depending upon the spiritual gifts and talents bestowed by God and upon individual interests.  A Deacon is encouraged to continue to search for and discover his/her spiritual gifts and talents, to develop his/her gifts and skills, and to use them in the service of Christ and His Church.
With that in mind, a Deacon might serve in many different volunteer positions, offices, and leadership functions of the church, wherever there is need.  He/she may serve on the Church Council or on other boards or committees.  He/she may represent the congregation in a ministry of the broader church outside the congregation.  He/she may organize a new ministry or position needed in the church.  He/she may serve with his/her gifts and skills in one of the agencies of the church, such as the Sunday School or the Lutheran School.  He/she may be involved in ministry to the ill, the homeless, the homebound, or in evangelism ministry or counseling ministry.
Leadership of small cell groups, Koinonia Groups or Mission Groups, consisting of six to ten persons, is one very important way a Deacon serves at St. John's.  Our goal is to have 80% of our membership in such small groups, as well as prospective members who have not yet formally joined the church.  We envision Koinonia Groups serving as a comprehensive care system, where people nurture and care for each other, become close friends, join in Bible study and prayer together, and reach out to others as a means of helping the church to grow.  We also envision such a group multiplying and forming a new group about once every twelve months.  Each group is led by a leader and apprentice leader (Deacons) who are trained and supervised in caring for the ten people in their group.  When the group multiplies, the apprentice leader becomes the leader of the new group.  We also envision Mission Groups forming around specific ministry needs in the community or church.  The group centers its time and energies in going about the specific ministry they have chosen.  A Deacon might lead such a Mission Group.
In short, what Deacons do is as unlimited as the needs of God's people and the gifts the Holy Spirit gives to His Church.  Together they provide the lay-leadership that the Church needs to grow and be faithful to God.  One of the Deacons of Acts 6, Deacon Philip, is called an Evangelist in Acts 21:8  (See also Acts 8 where Philip demonstrates his work as an Evangelist).  In Romans 16:1-2 Deacon Phoebe is described as "a helper of many," including the Apostle Paul.  According to 1 Peter 4:10-11 every charisma (spiritual gift) is a gift from God and the person so blessed is expected to serve as a good steward of the manifold gifts of God.


3. WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS    FOR BEING A DEACON?
   
In the Lutheran Church of St. John we seek persons with the qualifications for Deacons as described in the New Testament.  In Acts 6:3 the Apostles instructed the Church to select Deacons according to three qualifications: "men of good reputation (well spoken of), full of the Spirit, and of wisdom."
   
1) GOOD REPUTATION:  Deacons serve as special, public servants of Christ and represent Christ's Church in everything they do and say.  Therefore it is imperative that they have a good reputation within the church and outside the church, and that they live and conduct themselves in such a way as to glorify God and give the church a good name, that people may be drawn to it, and never bring shame upon the church.  In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 the Apostle Paul expands on this idea by listing the following qualifications:

a) people of dignity, serious, worthy of respect, good character.
b) not double-tongued, honest, open, truthful, sincere.
c) not a problem drinker, not addicted to alcohol/drugs, not drinking too much.
d) not greedy for money or gain, not pursuing dishonest gain.
e) keeping hold of the deep truths of the faith of Christ with a clear conscience.
f) there must be a time of testing before one is allowed to serve as a Deacon.
g) their spouses must not be malicious talkers, not gossips, temperate, trustworthy, honest in everything.
h) married to only one spouse.
i) able to manage their children and family well.

2) FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:  Deacons serve as models for the rest of God's people, models of faith, faithfulness and commitment as disciples of the Lord.  They are seeking to grow and mature in faith.  They are committed to do the Lord's work.
These fruits of the Spirit are displayed in many and various ways by Deacons, but especially in faithful involvement in the congregation's worship, in the Holy Sacraments, in Bible study, in generosity and sacrificial giving, in witnessing, and in joyful, compassionate service in Christ's name.  It is the Holy Spirit who gives spiritual gifts to all believers.  Deacons especially know their responsbility to discover, develop, and use their gifts for the growth and enrichment of Christ's Church.  (Read Ephesians 5:18-20 and Colossians 3:16-17.)
   
3) FULL OF WISDOM.   Wisdom is also a gift of the Holy Spirit and comes from a thorough knowledge and understanding of God's Word in the Holy Scriptures.  Wisdom is also the ability to use and apply the Scriptures to everyday life-situations and the work of Christ's Church.  With this kind of wisdom, Deacons display a special God-given competence to fulfill the responsibilities they undertake in a knowledgable, common-sense, Spirit-filled way, not to get glory for themselves but for God alone.
Acts 6 and 7 clearly show that Deacon Stephen, one of the first Deacons, knew and understood the Holy Scriptures very well, as he gave a detailed summary of the entire Old Testament, from memory, before the Council of Jerusalem.  A Deacon's life and work must be grounded in and nurtured by Holy Scriptures.  Therefore, it goes without saying, that a Deacon commits himself/herself to on-going group Bible study and leadership training, for continuing personal growth.  This is a basic qualification for being a Deacon.


4. HOW DOES ONE BECOME A DEACON?
   
The following steps are involved in becoming a Deacon in the Lutheran Church of St. John:

STEP 1 - NOMINATION:  A communicant member of the congregation, at least 18 years of age, may be nominated to become a Deacon by one or more of the following: The Pastor;  Other called staff of the Church; Elders; Another Deacon; Church Council; Four or more communicant members.  Or if a member has the qualifications and desire to serve as a Deacon, he/she should make that known by speaking with the Pastor or Elders.
According to Acts 6:5-6 Deacons chosen by the church were brought to the Apostles for approval.  Deacon-nominees will be interviewed by the Pastor and/or Elders to determine if the individual meets the qualifications or has the potential to meet the qualifications to serve as a Deacon.  If approved, that person becomes a Deacon-Candidate.

STEP 2 - DEACON-CANDIDATE:   The Apostle Paul (1 Tim. 3:13) states that Deacon-Candidates should first be tested before being allowed to serve as a Deacon.  At St. John's this is a period of time when the Deacon-Candidate:
a) chooses the ministries he/she will be involved in. Deacons are expected to be significantly involved in two kinds of ministry, one within the congregation, and the other in an outreach ministry in the community.  
b) receives on-the-job training while he/she begins to serve in a leadership/ministry capacity in the congregation, according to the gifts/talents he/she possesses, if not already doing so.
c) becomes involved in the Deacon training/supervision program and in the special fellowship of the Deacons and Deacon-Candidates at St. John's.
d) demonstrates his/her qualifications to be a Deacon.

STEP 3 - ELECTION:  The period of time that one serves as a Deacon-Candidate will vary from person to person according to indivdual background, experience, understanding, faith-development, and demonstration of qualifications.  When the Pastor, Elders and the Deacon-Candidate agree that he/she is ready, they will place his name before the congregation for election.  After a period of prayer, a Deacon-Candidate will be elected to the position of Deacon by a 2/3 majority in a secret ballot of the congregation.


STEP 4 - INSTALLATION:  According to Acts 6:5-6, after approving the Deacon-Candidates, the Apostles prayed for and installed each Deacon
with the laying on of hands.  Deacons at St. John's will be installed in Sunday morning worship services when God's people, the Elders, Deacons, and Pastor will pray for each Deacon and offer praise to God for all His gracious gifts.


5. HOW LONG DOES ONE REMAIN A DEACON?
   
The position of Deacon is not an office with a specified time of service.  A Deacon remains a Deacon, a special servant of Christ and leader at St. John's, as long as he is a member of the congregation and continues to demonstrate Deacon qualifications.  (If the unfortunate situation should arise that a Deacon fails to demonstrate these qualifications, he/she may be removed, perhaps temporarily, from the position of Deacon by the congregation or Elders.)  A Deacon, during his/her time as a Deacon, especially if it is a period of many years, may hold many offices and positions of service within the congregation, including the office of Elder.  In this respect, the position of Deacon is like the position of Pastor in a congregation; there is no length of time attached.  One of our major goals is leadership developement, to develop a sizable group of Deacons serving their Lord and His Church together at St. John's, to the glory of God, the growth of the Church, and the salvation of many (See Acts 6:7).

6. OF WHAT DOES THE DEACON TRAINING/SUPERVISION PROGRAM CONSIST?

Because deacon ministry is a new concept at St. John's, and is still in the process of being developed, the training/supervision program is also still being conceived and developed.  
Each Deacon-Candidate will come with different background, experiences, Biblical understanding, ministry gifts and skills, etc.  Therefore, at this time, there is no one prescribed course of study and training for all Deacon-Candidates.  Pastor, Elders, Deacons, and the Deacon-Candidate, in consultation together, will assess the Deacon-Candidate's faith-development, talents and skills, knowledge and experience, and construct a personal training/supervision program to best meet his/her needs.  The length of time of the training program, therefore, will also vary from candidate to candidate.  The goal of the training program is to develop competence and confidence as a Deacon of the Church.  By the end of the training, the candidate should have both a genuine confidence in their abilities and a realistic sense of their own limitations.

   Each Deacon training program will include:
       a) Regular, faithful participation in the V.H.S. (Vision/Huddle/Skills) Leadership meetings.
       b) Regular, faithful participation in Sunday Morning's Christian Education Hour.
       c) Choosing and playing a significant role in a ministry within the congregation, and in an outreach ministry in the community.  At least one of these ministries will be in a leadership role.
       d) Writing a personal faith-history and witness.
       e) Participation in peer-supervision sessions.

   Each Deacon training program may also include any of the following:

       a) Participation in Pastor's "Life With God" mebership Class.
       b) Participation in one or more Bible study courses, e.g. Crossways, Divine Drama, etc.
       c) Participation in special retreats.
       d) Participation in one or more practical / ministry-skill courses, e.g. evangelism, Stephen Ministry, worship, teaching skills, etc.
       e) Participation in a variety of pastoral, congregational, community ministries as a way of broadening vision, experience, and skills.
       f) Participation in special workshops sponsored by agencies and groups outside the congregation.
       g) Other items not yet considered.

7. MIGHT GOD BE CALLING YOU TO BECOME A DEACON?

You may be hearing God calling to you, in your own heart, or in the suggestion of a friend, or in the counsel of your pastor, or in some other way.  The first followers of Jesus received their special calls from Jesus in a variety of ways.  "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." (Mark 1:17)  "Do you love me?  Feed my
lambs.  Feed my sheep." (John 21:15-19)  "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?  I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.  Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." (Acts 9:4-6)
God may be calling you to become a Deacon and to some significant ministry in the service of Christ in His Church.  If so, you need to take God's invitation very seriously.  God may have a special task in mind for you, a special ministry which in His plan  He is calling on you to do.  He may be calling you to a more mature faith and a higher involvement in Christ's work.  
You may be eager to say Yes to God.  His Spirit may already have given you the conviction and the faith, that this is something you know that you should do.  Your pastor and other fellow Christian believers can help you confirm that conviction, that it truly is God's call to you at this time.  
You may have some doubts about what you should do, or what you can do.  It may seem like to large a commitment, or you may be wondering how you can rearrange your time and your priorities.  You may not be sure that you have the ability to do the work of a Deacon.  Doubts and questions are OK.  God's people have often been reluctant at first to accept God's call.  The prophet Amos said, "I was neither a prophet nor a prophet's son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.  But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'" (Amos 7:14-15)  Or do you remember all of the objections that Moses raised when God was calling him to his special task: "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11; see all of Exodus 3 & 4)  If you have questions or doubts about this, you should definitely consult with your pastor and other fellow church members in whom you have confidence.  They can assist you in thinking through your questions, and praying with you.  
Above all, engage in meditation with Holy Scripture at your side, and engage in prayer, and God's Spirit will lead and guide you to a God-pleasing decision.  
Your pastor and the elders at St. John's are here to assist you.  If God is calling you to become at Deacon at St. John's, we hope and pray that you will answer Yes.


Return to Publications.

This page is under construction for editorial purposes.

Last Updated 3/6/2008