Deacons and Deaconesses – 1 Timothy 3:8-13

In Acts 6, when the Hellenistic widows were not being served equally to the Hebraistic widows, the apostles directed the people to select qualified men whom they could appoint to oversee this ministry.  If we think of the apostles as the elders of the church, then we could see these individuals as deacons, serving the elders with their gifts of leadership.  Paul’s practice with churches he planted was to always appoint elders, whereas deacons seemed to come later, chosen by the church, as were subsequent elders.  Deaconesses were also appointed, primarily to minister to women, we might suppose.

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.  (1 Timothy 3:8-13 ESV)

The requirement for deacons are basically the same as those for overseers/elders/pastors.  The importance of such leadership is emphasized by the need to test them before they take office.  But what is a deacon?  The word means simply “servant.”  If we follow the model given in Acts 6, when the apostles asked the people to appoint seven men to serve the needs of the widows, we may extrapolate that deacons are those who serve at the behest of the elders/overseers.  They carry out needed tasks of ministry (teaching, administering, visiting, overseeing, etc.) as directed by the overseers.

The odd thing about this list of requirements is that it mentions the “women” (The ESV translates this “wives”).  But if there are requirements for the wives of deacons there would surely be requirements for the wives of overseers.  It is more likely that this is designation for women deacons.  Phoebe (Romans 16:1) may be an example.

Not all churches have elders and deacons.  Presbyterian churches have a body of elders and usually a senior elder or senior pastor.  Baptist churches usually have a senior pastor (perhaps considered an elder) and deacons.  Methodist church pastors appoint elders and elders appoint deacons.  Catholic churches have elders and deacons, but also priests, who have the most authority.  And in Episcopal churches have bishops (elders) and deacons.  Each of these traditions has different definitions and roles for elders and deacons.