As grateful, gospel people “we love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). We live this out by loving and serving our neighbor (Romans 15:1–3). The faithful servants of God who lead us in our serving are called deacons. The Greek word in the Bible for “deacon” literally means “servant.” Although all Christians are called to serve others because Jesus served us (Mark 10:45; Philippians 2:5–7), the role of the deacon is to be reliable for this service
CHOSEN TO SERVE
CHOSEN TO SERVE
The first deacons were appointed in the early church with these words from the twelve apostles:
“It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:2–4)
This sums up the ministry of the deacon. Deacons are shock-absorbing servants. This means they serve the church by maintaining unity through meeting tangible needs, such that, if left unmet, it leaves the church vulnerable to potential conflict (Acts 6:1–6). Their work allows the pastors of the church to remain focused and freed up to preach, teach, and pray. So you will see our deacons serving whenever our doors are open. But given their role, they will also be serving when no one else is looking (Matthew 6:2–4).
The biblical qualifications of a pastor are almost identical to the qualifications of a deacon. The primary difference is that a deacon is not required to be “able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2) or “to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9). Pastors are called to teach and defend, while deacons are called to serve and manage. The apostle Paul defines the qualifications for deacons as follows:
“Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. They must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons. Wives, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything. Deacons are to be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently. For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 3:8–13).
To learn more, read The Biblical Qualifications and Responsibilities of Deacons by Benjamin Merkle.
If you are interested in the ministries of any of our deacons or officers, feel free to contact our church office for more information. Below is a list of our servants within the First Baptist Church family:
- Justin Darling
- Josh Glenn
- Scott Jura
- Jared Kelley
- Mark Minich
- Jon Peterson
- Frank Rodgers
- Joe Stewart IV