Deacons

Thabiti Anyabwile offers two posts on deacons in the local church. In the first post, he offers 6 practical questions that may be helpful when thinking about potential deacons for the church. In the second post, he considers 5 more questions related to how well deacons are able to keep hold of the faith.

These are crucial things to think about especially in light of how many churches choose deacons. First of all, in many churches, the offices of deacon and elder are intertwined or confused. Secondly, the decision as to who should be a deacon in many churches comes down to a popularity contest. One of the football coaches has to be a deacon. Then, we have to have a member of the school board. And don't forget about "person X". He has been a member for 30 years, we can't leave him out. Oh yeah, and "person Y" has never cheated on his wife, he would probably be good. Don't we need an accountant too?

Sadly, the reason this is the case is that many church members are not themselves informed about the qualifications of deacons. The role of deacons should be more than just passing out bulletins, and passing the offering plate. Deacons are to be servants of the church. They should take care of the nitty gritty work so the elders can focus on the ministry of teaching and prayer. I am thankful for Thabiti's two posts on deacons. As a deacon (of community outreach) myself, I am challenged to take my role of service seriously, and to consider how I should live my life as disciple of Christ and a servant of his church.