Over a period of four years the candidate develops further the human, intellectual, spiritual, liturgical and pastoral aspects of his ministry. The program demands a great deal of academic work, a continuous vocational discernment, the development of ministerial skills, and a deepening spiritual and devotional life.
All these while maintaining his primary responsibilities for family life and work. Diaconate formation is not simply a program that one completes in order to be ordained a deacon; it is a spiritually rigorous process of discerning the vocation to which the Lord is calling these men. As a result, such moments draw me, as their director, into a deeper reflection over the importance of their formation and future ministry.
At the same time, I am asked to answer the question, why are deacons necessary to the Church? In order to fully understand the necessity for the diaconate, we must first understand who deacons are and what we do. He is no longer a layman, but a member of the clergy.
The deacon teaches the Word of God, administers baptism solemnly and helps lead the community in its religious life. He assists at the altar, proclaims the Gospel and preaches and distributes the Eucharist as an ordinary minister. He blesses marriages, presides over funerals, administers viaticum to the sick and dying, can preside over exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, administers sacramentals and leads Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest.
Deacons are called to do so out of the depths of an interior life centered in the Eucharist, and fueled by a life of prayer. That is what the deacon is ordained to do. The definition of a deacon is misunderstood if it is defined by what he does. The deacon is the sacramental presence of Christ as one who serves. The deacon is called not only to do things but to have a life of prayer, which is his foundation.
Just as the apostles delegated administrative responsibilities to the Seven, so the elders are to delegate certain responsibilities to the deacons so that the elders can focus their efforts elsewhere. As a result, each local church is free to define the tasks of deacons based on their particular needs. What are some duties that deacons might be responsible for today?
Such duties might include:. That is, they are to care for the physical or temporal concerns of the church. By handling such matters, deacons free up the elders to focus on shepherding the spiritual needs of the congregation. Purchase a Print Edition. Our work is possible by the generosity of our readers. Give Today. Read Now » Ask a Question ». Resources Donate. The Biblical Qualifications and Responsibilities of Deacons.
Article Who should be a deacon? What does the Bible say deacons should do? Need more resources? Enter your email and receive our free Journal Deacons are Shock Absorbers.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. By Benjamin Merkle. More articles tagged as: Deacons Elders Leadership. They are not the spiritual elders of the church. Instead, the deacons provide leadership over the service-oriented functions of the church.
The Bible, however, does not clearly indicate the function of deacons. But based on the pattern established in Acts 6 with the apostles and the Seven, it seems best to view the deacons as servants who do whatever is necessary to allow the elders to accomplish their God-given calling of shepherding and teaching the church The role of the Seven should not be compared too closely with the role of the deacons since Steven was also a miracle-worker [Acts ] and preacher [Acts ] and Philip was an evangelist [Acts ].
Just as the apostles delegated administrative responsibilities to the Seven, so the elders are to delegate responsibilities to the deacons so that the elders can focus their efforts elsewhere. Newton, Elders in Congregational Life , p. As a result, each local church is free to define the tasks of deacons based on its particular needs. There are some clues as to the function of deacons based on the requirements in 1 Timothy 3.
Wayne Grudem offers some possibilities:. They perhaps had some administrative responsibilities in other activities of the church as well, because they were to manage their children and their households well v.
William Mounce maintains that the requirements listed suggest that a deacon would have substantial contact with people: he must not be double-tongued, must have a dignified wife, be faithful in marriage, and have a well-managed family William D. Mounce, Pastoral Epistles , Although such a conclusion is possible, it cannot be given too much weight. What are some duties that deacons might be responsible for today? Basically they could be responsible for any item not related to teaching and ruling in the church.
Below is a list of possible duties:. Benevolence — Similar to what took place in Acts 6 with the daily distribution to the widows, the deacons should be involved in administering funds for the needy. Facilities — The deacons could be responsible for the basic management of the church property.
This would include making sure the place of worship is prepared for the worship service. Other items may include cleanup, sound system, etc. Finances — Some believe that matters of finance should be handled by the elders since the famine-relief money brought by Paul and Barnabas was delivered to the elders Acts But while the elders can oversee the financial business of the church, it is probably best left to the deacons to handle the day-to-day matters.
This would include collecting and counting the offering, record keeping, helping to set the church budget, etc. Logistics — Deacons should be available to help in a variety of ways so that the elders are able to concentrate on teaching and shepherding the church. Ushers — The deacons could be responsible for distributing bulletins, seating the congregation, preparing the elements for communion, etc. The role of a deacon is different from the role of an elder.
Whereas elders are charged with the tasks of teaching and shepherding the church, deacons are given a more service-oriented function.
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