ONE: The deacons represent the membership, and they have been recommended by the pastor. The deacons shall assist the pastor in promoting the spiritual welfare of the church, in conducting the church services, and to advice and counsel the pastor in matter pertaining to the welfare and work of the church.
The deacons are responsible to help encourage & strengthen the pastor, as well as the congregation. They are to guard against moral and doctrinal error. They are to oversee the business and temporal affairs relating to the church. The deacon(s) are expected to meet with the pastor on an as needed basis for prayer and planning, to appropriate funds, and, on rare occasions, to deal with matters of trouble or strife within the fellowship.
The deacons also may consider those seeking membership and affiliated co-laborers.
The deacons shall consider benevolence needs, disburse the benevolence fund in cooperation with the pastor, and assist the pastor in all other evangelistic efforts of the church.
The deacons shall assist the pastor in caring for the administrative needs of the church’s various ministries.
The deacons should be ready to fill the pulpit if the pastor is unavailable, resigns, dies, or is removed because of disciplinary action.
TWO: The deacon(s) shall work together with other leaders in the church. They are to assist, consult and advise the pastor on decisions concerning the church.
THREE: To appoint a deacon:
The pastor will make an announcement from the pulpit that he is recommending a deacon.
All church members will then be given a 2-week period to talk with the recommended deacon and/or the pastor, regarding this decision. All members will be given a chance to be heard IF they desire to be heard.
After the 2-week time is up, the Pastor will make an announcement from the pulpit whether or not the church will be moving forward with the decision of a new deacon.
If the decision is yes, there will be a final 2-week period given for the Pastor to meet with the other deacons and/or leaders to ensure this is the right decision.
After this final 2 weeks, the pastor will announce the deacon from the pulpit.
Qualifications of a Deacon
The following qualifications are MUST’s, which means the deacon MUST meet all of them.
The following list is not a “pick ‘n choose the ones I like” list.
All qualifications below MUST be met before a man can be recommended as a deacon.
1 Timothy 3 Likewise must the deacons be…
· Grave:
This doesn’t mean we’re looking for someone so old, they’re ready to be put in the grave. Rather, we are looking for someone who is down to earth, and has some gravity to his life. Someone who is relatable, approachable, and someone who doesn’t go into fits of rage.
· Not doubletongued:
He cannot be a deceitful person who makes contradictory remarks on issues depending on who he’s talking to. For example: a deacon can’t say one thing to the pastor and then another thing to the congregation
· Not given to much wine:
Because a deacon is saved, he is full of joy and has eternal life. For this reason, he has no need for wine or strong drink. If a deacon is sick, has a medical or health emergency, or is dying, drugs and/or alcohol may be used for medicinal purposes.
· Not greedy of filthy lucre:
This has nothing to do with a deacon being rich or poor. There are greedy poor people as much as there are greedy rich people. This has to do with the fact that money goes through a church, and we do NOT want anyone in leadership messing up with church money. A deacon must be a faithful giver, which would also evidence that he is not greedy.
Please note: we have a zero tolerance policy, and do NOT play “political games” of having rich business men “buy” their way to deaconship by being a big giver.
· Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience:
It must be evidenced to the congregation that the deacon’s conscience is governed by biblical principles and led by the Holy Spirit.
· And let these also first be proved:
A deacon candidate must be “proved” before he can be “used.”
The mindset is not: “IF I was given the office, I would prove to you what I can do.”
But rather: I’ve already proved my faithfulness and it’s evident to the congregation.
· being found blameless:
This is not a sinless deacon, it’s a blameless deacon. In other words, what’s his character? A deacon must have a blameless character that would not harm the reputation of the church.
1 Timothy 3 …Even so must their wives be…
· grave:
Like in any marriage, a deacon will talk with his wife about matters. His wife must also be down to earth, relatable, and approachable.
· Not slanderers:
Her tongue must not get the best of her. She cannot be someone who tells tales, gossips, or always has something to say about someone.
· Sober:
A deacon’s wife is not allowed to be a drunk or consume alcoholic beverages or drugs. She must be sober physically, mentally, and emotionally. For example: she cannot be full of pride, and drunk with herself.
1 Timothy 3 …Let the deacons be the…
· Husband of one wife:
This reinforces that a deacon must be a man. Only a man has a wife.
Also, the Bible does not say “the husband of one wife at a time”.
If a man is divorced and then remarries, he may be “the husband of one wife at a time.”
But he does not meet the Bible qualification of “the husband of one wife” because he would now have a 2nd wife.
· Ruling their children:
This must NOT be a situation where a man is harshly ruling his wife. Rather, he and his wife are biblically ruling their children TOGETHER. A married man must have children, either biological or adopted, that he has and is raising and ruling them biblically.
· and their own houses well:
If a man lost his house because he can’t pay the bills, he’s not qualified to be a deacon. Likewise, if he lost his house spiritually, he’s not qualified as a deacon. If a man has physically or spiritually bankrupted his own house, he will surely bankrupt a church-house. For this reason, he must be someone who rules his own house well.
1 Timothy 3 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves:
· a good degree:
We do not care about a man having an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree. We do not care about titles such as: Dr. or Reverend. We care about the degree of a humble servant. Someone who serves as a great example and points our local congregation to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the “good degree” we are looking for.
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170 4th Ave. Cookeville, TN 38506
