Currently, some LBC deacons see their role as one of leadership and spiritual leadership of the church. These seven Christians had to be "of good repute, full of the Spirit and wisdom" (Acts 6:3). He claims that these men initially helped free the leadership of the church so that it could carry out its ministerial duties.
Previous practical service to the church is not one of the qualifications required for an overseer – the ability to teach is. In Acts 6:3 these seven men were to have a good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 that deacons should be men of Christian character and devotion to serving the church.
First, Baptists have historically advocated for faithful men to meet the practical needs of the church by serving as deacons. Second, twentieth-century deacon training programs show that deacons are generally expected to care for the practical needs of the church. He wrote that deacons voluntarily serve tables, contribute to the upkeep of the ministry, and visit the poor and widows.
They shall serve the table of the poor; to whom they shall distribute out of the stock of the church, with all impartiality, simplicity, cheerfulness, and sympathy.30. The work of the deacons was to attend to the concerns of the church, especially in serving the poor and the priest's table. Johnson, "The Gospel Developed Through the Government and Order of the Churches of Jesus Christ," in Dever, Polity, 196-98.
The different views of deacons are shown with the first two presidents of the SBC. While Howell maintains that the pastor oversees all the spiritual needs of the church, deacons are to be directors of the church.47. Deacons as business leaders of the church were to oversee the functions of the church to allow the pastor to provide spiritual care.
Agar writes: "The local church is one of the most important agencies for winning lost souls. Agar also addressed the tension between pastors and deacons by saying that the pastor must be assisted by the deacons and should never be a servant to the board of deacons. 53. Thabiti Anyabwile states in Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons that deacons are a joyful means of serving the church and perhaps one of the most important.
Since the pre-project survey of the church was conducted and the results compiled, this first goal was considered complete.
A Deacon’s Beginning
Because of time constraints and because this was not the purpose of these sessions, I explained that the sessions would not be about women serving as deacons or divorced men serving as deacons.
A Deacon’s Character
On December 3, starting at 6:00 p.m., I welcomed the deacons and thanked them for their participation in the training series. As a helpful resource, each deacon received a copy of the LBC Deacon Covenant and 40 Questions About Elders and Deacons by Benjamin Merkle. While the seven men of Acts 6 were called to the practical task of serving tables, no ordinary man could fulfill this role.
As Darrell Bock says in his commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, deacons have basically two qualifications: they are spiritual men and their character was well received by others.4 These seven men must have had a good reputation, who would says that they should be well spoken of or approved. This good reputation is not limited within the boundaries of church life and should be considered a general quality. As representatives of Christ and his church, deacons must be faithful representatives of the faith.
Their wisdom should be heavenly or from above (James 3:13-18) and not wisdom that is earthly. God's Spirit should be evident in their lives and expressed in actions such as love, peace, patience, kindness and goodness. As the narrative from Acts 6 shows, deacons brought peace, joy and stability to the church in the midst of trouble -.
A Deacon’s Character
Both are called to be dignified, not drunkards, not greedy for selfish gain, innocent, "one woman" men and good leaders of their families. Deacons are not called to teach, nor are they to oversee the affairs of the church. Deacons must be tested, and part of that testing includes their wives, yet they are not called to be hosts like overseers.
In a practical sense, deacons may be seminary trained, gifted in preaching, or even have previously served in the pastorate—but they are content to serve in the office of deacon. This understanding of minimums rather than maximums for deacons helps to explain the continued role and abilities of Stephen and Philip in Acts.
Baptist History on Deacons
This session began with a short section on Baptist heritage and then discussed the early Baptist confessions, which led to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. This lesson proved difficult to include the good confessions without overwhelming the audience. Keach emphasizes the importance of deacons to serve the tables: "The work of the deacon is to serve the Tables, to see to the provision of the Lord's table, the minister's table, and the table of the poor."6 Griffith says that deacons are men called by the church to minister to his external concerns, and whose duty it is to serve the table.7 Jones calls the business of the deacons' work to be extensive as they first ministered to thousands of people, as Acts 2:41 shows- 44.8.
Although brief, this lesson showed that Baptists have historically examined Acts 6 and 1 Timothy 3 as common supporting verses for their understanding of deacons. Deacons were called to oversee the poor of the church, help serve with the Lord's Table and help serve the minister's table.
Modern Uses of Deacons
He discusses how deacons provide a joyful means of service, and he quotes Acts. 6 as the prototypical beginning of deacons who were the "shock absorbers" of the church.9 Paul Chappell's The Ministry of a Baptist Deacon was the second resource considered. Chappell writes about how deacons must be faithful followers of the pastor and how deacons help strengthen pastors to do their work. According to Merkle, deacons are not responsible for teaching or leading the congregation, nor are they spiritual leaders.
However, deacons seem to have responsibilities for caring for the poor, managing church finances, and helping the church community.10 The fourth resource was Alexander Strauch's The New Testament Deacon: The Church's Minister of Mercy. His desire is for the churches to return to what the deacons were originally called to do in Acts 6, and that is public service. Deacons have one of the most important ministries of the church: service, mercy, and loving the needy.11 Henry Webb's Deacons: Servant Models in the Church was the last resource considered.
His work is significant because of his long-term experience with LifeWay and editor of The Deacon magazine. Webb suggests that the service of deacons is equivalent to the service of Jesus and therefore not a.
Implications of Using Deacons Biblically and Extra-Biblically
Even the early apostles understood that serving tables in addition to the ministry of the Word was too much. When reviewing both the pre- and post-project surveys for deacons, several observations were made. One possible reason for this subtle shift may be the result of Merkle's teaching in Lesson 3 of the Training of Deacons.
Third, and most troubling, I could not remove pre- and post-surveys of the same deacon, as they had no denominations. The pre- and post-project surveys were a useful exercise in looking at the teaching ability of deacons at LBC. In addition to the teaching series, each of the eight deacon participants received a copy of 40 Questions About Elders and Deacons for further reference.1.
First, the biblical references appear to be copies of the New Hampshire Confession, which was addressed to pastors and deacons. One of the deacons answered statements 1 and 3 in the survey after the project that he did not agree at all. It didn't take much time to fill out the pre-training surveys, but I wasn't sure that the deacons had received three hours of training.
I adapted this project to a new ministry environment, which was inevitable but influenced the selection of the project topic. Fourth, in retrospect of the training sessions, I should have focused more on the perceived problems with the deacons' understanding than on the overall training.
Would Do Differently
LESSON PLANS RUBRIC
- Each Deacon, alongside the pastor, spiritually shepherding the congregation of Lebanon Baptist Church
- Each Deacon taking personal responsibility for the spiritual nurture of the families assigned to their care
- Each Deacon guarding and keeping confidentiality
- Each Deacon fulfilling the duties designated to the Deacon of the Week ministry
- To set a godly example for the congregation of Lebanon Baptist Church in belief and action
- Alongside the pastor, to spiritually shepherd the congregation of Lebanon Baptist Church
- To take personal responsibility for the spiritual nurture of the families assigned to my care
- To guard and keep confidentiality
- To fulfill the duties designated to the Deacon of the Week ministry
In the United Methodist Church, deacons are called to lead the mobilization of the church and for the good of the world. In the KJV, these seven men were to be of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and. Being in good standing is essential for a deacon, as they are called for more than service, but as a representative of the church and of Christ.
Early Baptist confessions also taught about the Church and Church Offices: Elders and Deacons. It said that qualified deacons would help the church in feeding, governing, serving and building the church: "Pastors, Teachers, Elders,. Deacons can serve in a wide variety of roles as long as they serve the current needs of the church.
Deacons must be men of faith and the Spirit, dedicated to serving the church: “When looking for deacons, churches must look for men who are full of the Spirit. Each deacon takes personal responsibility for the spiritual care of the families assigned to their care. To go to the aid of the families under their care in case of crisis or need.
My faithful and constant attendance and participation in the life and worship of the church. To take personal responsibility for the spiritual education of certain families in my care. My going to the aid of the families under my care in case of crisis or need.
My moderation of the church business meeting when it occurs during my service week.
