Deacons

What are deacons and why do we have them? This is a question I will try to answer in this study.

First off I want to say that the word deacon comes from the Greek word diakonos. When we translate the word diakonos we find that this means servant. So we can say that a “deacon” is a servant. That is interesting to me because I have seen “deacons” play many roles in the church, especially here in the south.

I feel that in the south or “Bible Belt” we have turned church into a thing of traditions and have added a lot of things to the church that wasn’t intended. The first thing I want to point out is that every church I have ever been to there were a group of men labeled “deacons” these men seemed to have more power than the pastor himself. It’s kind of like being the President of the United States. The president can come up with a bill, but that bill has to go through congress and the House of Representatives to be voted on. Basically the President of the United States has little to no power when it comes to things he wants to see happen. That is kind of what the church has done with pastors. For instance at my former church the pastor wanted to send a certain amount of money to a mission team in Mexico. For this to happen he had to first get the “deacons” of the church together and run the idea by them in a 30 minute meeting to make sure it was ok with them to present this to the church to then be voted on in a business meeting. Let me back up just a little bit. This pastor is an awesome man of God and follows God and does what He wants him to do. This guy does not do what he wants to do. He felt that God was telling him to send this money to the mission team in Mexico, but to be able to do so like I mentioned he had to run it by the “deacons” and get their approval. Then IF they approved it would have to be brought up in a church business meeting and the members of the church would vote yes or no. I will tell you how the business meeting went. There were a number of people that were concerned about sending money to a mission team, it meant they would have to take the money out of a fund instead of saving or hording that money that was already in the account. Needless to say the argument went on for 45 minutes and the pastor wound up putting the issue on the table for a month. Here is my question, if God tells a pastor to do something, why should he have to run it by a group of guys that seem to have more power than him? If God tells a pastor to do something, then that pastor should have all the power in the world to do so, the power being from God. Aren’t we all called to be obedient to God?

Let’s go back to the word “deacon.” The word means servant. We see the first “deacon” in Acts chapter 6 with Stephen. This church that we see in Acts 6 was growing. The numbers of disciples were multiplying rapidly. Then you have these guys that say there widows are being looked over in the daily distributing of the bread. Paul and the disciples get together and said that it wouldn’t be right for them to give up preaching about God to wait on tables. So they selected 7 good men of good reputation to be servants. Nowhere in scripture does it give deacons power, especially to police the pastors. “deacons” are servants, aren’t we all supposed to have the heart of a servant? Serving others is an act of worship, but when we use the term “deacon” to select men to reign and rule over all matters of the church then it doesn’t seem like worship to me.
If the term “deacon” means servant then in a sense we are all deacons, if, we are serving others. Think about it, do you think God wants us to be more concerned about what man wants or what God wants? If God is calling an individual to do something then that individual should do it, he or she shouldn’t have to go ask someone is it ok. When I was growing up if my dad told me to go load up the gloves and ball and let’s go hit some baseballs, I didn’t go to my next door neighbors house and ask them if it was ok to go do what my dad had told me to do. I did what he said. Even if it was something I didn’t want to do like take out the trash, again I didn’t go ask my neighbor if I should do it. That is the way our Heavenly Father is. He is just like our fleshly dad. When He tells us something we should do what He says, not ask somebody else’s permission.

Deacons have been given a sense of power that they are over every aspect of the Church. I find this disturbing because normally God calls a pastor to a church. I understand that when a pastor leaves a church then a search committee of some kind is formed to look for another pastor. So here is my thing, when God calls a man to a church, God will also let the search committee know that this guy is the one. A lot of times the search committee is made up of mostly deacons and a lot of times they want to choose the pastor that they want, and not necessarily the pastor that God wants. The church has given “deacons” power that doesn’t exist in scripture. On the flip side of this, a “deacon” or group of “deacons” shouldn’t be able to fire a pastor or run him off. God should be the only one to move a pastor and it is up to the pastor to hear God and follow Him.

We see in 1 Timothy chapter 3 the qualifications of church leaders and “deacons” or servants. Again no where in that chapter does it give “deacons” power to rule over the church. I feel like we should stop focusing on appointing “deacons” to rule over all the decisions of the church and start training men to be leaders in the church and teach them how to have a servants heart. Those would be true deacons according to the Bible. The pastor should follow God and do what God tells Him. If the pastor is not doing things according to God’s plan then God will give the leaders of the church the discernment they need to see what is taking place. It is then up to the leaders to sit down and discuss things with the pastor, not have him run off or fired from the church. God should do all the hiring and firing. The deaons in the church should just roll up their sleeves and do what they are called to do. Wait on tables.

My prayer is that God will open up eyes around the world about what a true deacon is. I want to see churches start training leaders to help the pastor with his work, but not rule over his work. I also want to see God start leading the churches instead of people that want only what is best for them and there families. When we see God centered churches, and churches following what God wants for them then we will see churches star filling up again.

Lets follow God’s plan and stop living a lie by the devil. Train leaders in your church that support your pastor. Have a group of servants. God bless!