God has ordained two offices in the local church: elders and deacons. At Oak Park, we understand and are comfortable discussing what elders are, what they are supposed to do, and which men in our congregation are serving in this role. This reality follows the contemporary revival of adherence to elder-led polity within Southern Baptist life. While this recovery is great, similar attention has not been given to the diaconate. Few works have been written to specifically address the nature of this God-ordained office. Thankfully, this lack of attention is beginning to be rectified. Chief among this renewed attention is Matt Smethurst’s newest book, Deacons: How They Serve and Strengthen the Church. Serving as a short, practical overview of the topic, Deacons is “both a manifesto and a practical manual” for churches seeking to adopt a biblical view of the diaconate (20).
The History of Deacons
Smethurst begins by providing a brief history of deacons in the life of the church. He illustrates the prominence of the office in the earliest days of the church (24-25), a status which steadily declined as the church adopted an episcopal form of governance. In this model, rather than having elders and deacons that were responsible only for their individual churches, a hierarchical system developed that placed bishops over local churches and their officers. The traditional responsibilities of deacons were replaced by secretarial responsibilities assigned by the bishop (28). Thus, deacons no longer served congregations; rather, they were servants of bishops. Throughout the middle ages, the diaconate was further removed from the biblical model. Deacons became priests-in-waiting, biding their time as servants of the bishop in hopes of one day becoming a priest or bishop themselves.
Like many errors that took hold in the medieval church, the unbiblical view of the diaconate began to change in the Protestant Reformation. Chiefly due to the influence of the Genevan Reformer John Calvin, deacons began functioning as servants of both the poor and the congregation, administering the mercy ministries of the church (29-30). Yet Calvin’s efforts to recover the diaconate has not prevented modern distortions of the office. Smethurst identifies several distortions that are common today, which include viewing deacons as pastors-in-training, handymen, budget gurus, executives, and as checks on pastoral authority. Wrong views of the diaconate have been common throughout history, a reality that makes developing a biblical view of deacons even more pressing.
The Marks of Deacons
To recover a biblical view of the diaconate, Smethurst directs attention to Acts 6:1-7, which is the prototypical model for diaconal ministry (43). In this account from the earliest days of the church, a dispute arose regarding the distribution of food. The apostles recognized the severity of the problem, yet they rightly viewed their responsibility to the ministry of the word and prayer to be primary. Thus, the disciples were instructed to identify seven men who possessed wisdom and good reputations who would be tasked with food distribution.
In his analysis of this passage, Smethurst identifies several key marks of diaconal service. First, deacons serve so that the ministry of the word can be prioritized (46). Though the church is called to do many things, including providing practical service and care for those who are unable to provide for themselves, the preaching and teaching of the word must remain central. By identifying deacons who can manage these important areas, elders are free to spend their time devoted to the word and prayer. Second, deacons are appointed by the congregation as a whole (48). Though the apostles likely knew qualified men who could have administered the food distribution, they instructed the congregation to identify men who possessed the necessary qualifications to care for the widows. Third, deacons must possess godly character befitting the office (50). The men identified in Acts 6 were expected to be “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom.” Paul also identifies a host of character qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, underscoring the necessity of godly character as opposed to mere ability when identifying deacons in the church. Fourth, the presence of deacons promotes a healthy division of labor in the church (51). Elders who seek to do everything in the church will either burn out quickly or become domineering in their leadership. However, by assigning service to the diaconate, elders are free to concentrate on their God-given responsibilities. Finally, deacons serve as shock absorbers, maintaining unity in the body of Christ (52). The dispute that brought about the first deacons was between the Hellenists and the Hebrews, two ethnic groups with a long history of animosity between them. Left unchecked, division between these two groups would have torn the early church apart along ethnic lines, destroying the unity among God’s people. Deacons continue to fulfill this role today, addressing urgent matters that threaten to divide the church if allowed to continue unabated. Deacons are thus essential for healthy churches, possessing essential responsibilities and abilities that allow the church to function in obedience to God’s word.
The Work of Deacons
Smethurst recognizes that healthy churches with a biblical view of deacons may adopt slightly different models of ministry that still maintain the biblical marks of the diaconate. Some churches may expect deacons to primarily function as “mercy ministers” (85). In these churches, deacons are focused on benevolence ministries, addressing physical and monetary needs. Other churches may focus on the servant character of deacons, viewing them primarily as “leading servants” (88). Deacons serving these congregations will focus on a broad range of service ministries, functioning as the hands and feet of elders to serve the body. Finally, the third model, which Smethurst commends (and is also demonstrated at Oak Park), is the “role-specific ministry mobilizers” model (89). In these churches, deacons will mobilize volunteers and take the initiative in specific ministry areas assigned to them by the elders. One deacon may lead in managing facilities, while another might be heavily involved in stewarding the finances of the church. At Oak Park, we believe this model (although not to the exclusion of mercy ministry and servant leadership) allows our deacons to function in areas where they are best gifted and equipped to serve the needs of the body of Christ.
The Glory of Deacons
Smethurst closes his book with several testimonies to the work of deacons that reflect the greatest servant, the Lord Jesus Christ. Healthy churches will be marked by a vibrant group of deacons that care for the needs of God’s people, faithfully ministering for the good of the congregation and the freedom of the elders to focus on Scripture and prayer.
Regardless of your role in the church, Deacons will serve to equip you to think more biblically and clearly about this vital office. As you read this book, I pray that you will reach the same conclusion as Smethurst: “Deacons do physical work with spiritual effect, and invisible work with palpable effect. Their calling is noble. Their service is needed. And their reward is near” (133).
Thomas Spivey (MDiv, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as the Managing Editor of the Oak Park Blog. He lives in Jeffersonville with his wife, Cristen.