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The role of deacon

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by webdog, May 3, 2007.

  1. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    From a now closed thread, the following was said...
    While this legalistic, pharaisaical statement is wrong on so many levels, I want to focus on what exactly is the role of a deacon? Are they to submit to a dictator pastor obeying his every whim? I thought they were servants, as in waiting tables in the NT?

    I understand most Baptist churches use deacons as if they were elders (which I don't agree with), but what should the role of a deacon be in the biblical model?
     
  2. drfuss

    drfuss New Member

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    The role of deacon depends on the constitution and bylaws of the church.

    If you are asking about the new testament church, you should also be addressing the role of the pastor, i.e. the plurality of elders issue.
     
  3. tinytim

    tinytim <img src =/tim2.jpg>

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    The deacons are servants... not of the Pastor, but of the people.

    I can go into more, but don't have the time yet...
    Look at the first Deacons.. and notice why they came to be... discrimination complaints.. Then look at the nationality background of most if not all of the deacons choosen...
    They were Greeks...

    Now imagine 10,000 people joining your church and wanting to help...
    What would be the response from the "old guards"

    On Sunday they would be praising God... on Monday they would be calling each other asking, 'I wonder what they will want to change?"

    Soon discrimination sets in, and if not handled correctly a split.
    But the Apostles were wise enough to let the new people help...

    Deacons are not to lord over the people.
    They are not to be slaves of the pastor..
    They are not to be guards of the tradition.
    They are to have a servant's heart for all the people...

    BTW.. there were over 10,000 people in the church before 7 men were chosen...

    Today, in some churches, the constitution calls for 7 men, although the church may only total 50 people....
    Too many men trying to do the same thing will leave idle time for some...
    Soon a power struggle will set in..
    And then you have the Deacon board that instead of serving starts dictating... all because there is not enough things to do serving...
    A pastor must have a servant's heart too...
    In a small church, the pastor should be able to do some of the things the deacons would normally do in at 10,000 member church...

    For a pastor of 100 member church or less, to say, "I'm not doing that, that's a deacon's job" when the pastor can, is the pastor being lazy!

    I do have to run now, I am late....
     
    #3 tinytim, May 3, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: May 3, 2007
  4. Ps104_33

    Ps104_33 New Member

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    I always thought that they were the pastors bodyguards.
     
  5. PeterM

    PeterM Member

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    IMHO they should be the busiest people in the body. Their role is to serve, ut they are alos to be conveyors of peace within the body (Acts 6). They are, at least in part, the practical arm of pastoral ministry and alongside and with the pastor.
     
  6. Jkdbuck76

    Jkdbuck76 Well-Known Member
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    Deacons are to serve God first.

    They are to love God first.

    I found out long ago that in order to handle being
    a deacon, I had to do it because I love the Lord and
    I want to serve Him.

    Loving people is noble, but it is not enough.


    I don't want to go off on a rant here.....
    We've had too many deacons at our church that loved
    the title ( "I'm a DEACON!!!" ) but they didn't want
    to serve. Oh, they loved being called a deacon, but
    they didn't want to show up to the meetings, or to
    the church clean up days, or to a hospital right after
    Sunday services. Sure, they wanted to be up in front
    of everybody, annointing with oil and praying on and on
    like a wind bag, but they never wanted to stay low-key,
    nor did they want to take over wednesday night bible
    study when the Pastor got called away.

    In my mind, a deacon has to be someone who says
    "I love the Lord. I love His Church. I want to serve Him
    by ministering to His Church." I am far from perfect, but
    I serve as a deacon because that is how I serve God. If
    I didn't love God and have a desire to serve Him, I'd have
    never agreed to be a deacon.

    Edit: The first martyr was Stephen... a deacon. He was
    stoned to death after preaching a sermon. Deacons do
    more than wait on tables.
     
    #6 Jkdbuck76, May 3, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: May 3, 2007
  7. 2 Timothy2:1-4

    2 Timothy2:1-4 New Member

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    The term "dictator" with respect to the role of the Pastor is thrown around way to much. Neither the Pastor or the church should run the church. Christ should run the church. And Christ has always lead his people by His chosen man. In today's church it is the Pastor. The rejection of the Pastor in the church today is reminiscent of Numbers 16.


    The deacons are to be in submission to the undershepherd as he stays close to Christ. Visiting can be done by both but the Pastors primary role is the Word of God. The church members have a right o be ministered to but do not have a right to demand who does the ministering.
     
  8. Pastor Larry

    Pastor Larry <b>Moderator</b>
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    Why is it legalistic, pharasaical, or wrong? And on which levels? What exactly is your objection?

    I have never seen anyone claim that a deacon is to "obey the dictating pastor's every whim." That is certainly not what the above quote indicates.

    It depends on the church. They are to meet all requirements for elder, save being able to teach. They were appointed by the church to allow the apostles to do the work of prayer and ministry of the word, so it seems that they are to lift the load of other things such as physical plant concerns, financial handling (counting money and disbursing it according to the church approved budget), visiting sick and shut-ins, and other things.

    I think this is hardly a topic to be lobbing charges like "legalist" or "Pharisee."
     
  9. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    Larry, if you would put off the argumentativeness for once and answer the question, that would be really great. The topic is not legalism. There was plenty of that in the thread that was closed. I am surprised you don't see the legalism in this statement (questioning another pastor's motives in visiting a member in the ER as a result of a car accident, and commiting the ghastly sin of missing a Wed. night prayer meeting!)
    This is about the role...biblical role...of the deacon. It was stated by the pastor posting that nonsense the deacon was to be sent to the hospital to pray for the person in the ER...and commanded to immediately return to church. I hardly see that as the role of deacon, or of the pastor for that matter.
     
    #9 webdog, May 3, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: May 3, 2007
  10. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
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    I’ve always believe the role of the deacon was to help the pastor to perform his role.
    In Acts 6, the deacons were assigned to care for the widows …
    …so that the leadership could devote themselves to prayer and the word.
    Once given the task, the deacons handled the problem.
    A dictator might micromanage;
    a good pastor would trust those men appointed and given the responsibility of deacon.

    “The role of deacon depends on the constitution and bylaws of the church.” :thumbs:
    Very true, there’s not much in the Bible concerning a deacons role.

    Re: visitation: I don’t know if it is specifically the role of a pastor or deacon, I think it’s the responsibility of the church as a whole.

    In today’s busy world, visitation is probably best preformed by scheduling the visit with the person that requires the visit.

    Rob
     
  11. His Blood Spoke My Name

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    Wasn't legalism in the other thread at all... you, and others, just did not agree with the Word of God so you cried 'legalism'.
     
  12. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    Here you go again...holding yourself and what you say as the Word of God, as those who don't agree with YOU are disagreeing with God's Word. That makes you a false prophet on top of a legalist, buddy.
     
  13. His Blood Spoke My Name

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    I quoted the Word of God, I showed from the Word of God where we are to have a zeal for the House of God. I showed where we are not to forsake the assembling together. I showed that we are to encourage others to be in the House of God even more today than ever.

    I show the pastor's duty is to study and feed the flock. The duties of the physical are the deacons. That is what they were set up to do.

    All these are written in the Word. They are not my words, it is the Word of God. You have a problem with it. Since you have a problem with it, you attack the messenger.

    Because it is all in the Word of God, I am not a false prophet as you so claim.
     
  14. His Blood Spoke My Name

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    And because you don't agree, you open a new thread, attacking me and my character.

    Shame!
     
  15. Hope of Glory

    Hope of Glory New Member

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    You actually do a fine job of that on your own.
     
  16. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    I wanted to reply to your comment over there, but the thread was closed. I wanted to find out if your dictatorship style is the biblical model...but if you say it is, obviously it's the "word of God" :rolleyes:
     
  17. His Blood Spoke My Name

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    Is not the Pastor to preach and teach the Word of God? That is exactly what I have done. It is not my word that says to go to Church and to encourage others to go often. It is the Word of God.

    As I said in the previous thread, if my believing and preaching the Word of God in love makes me a legalist, I will gladly wear the title.
     
  18. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    We should go to church, yes.

    But our highest calling is to be the church.

    See the "Good Samaritan" parable for more.
     
  19. Pastor Larry

    Pastor Larry <b>Moderator</b>
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    I didn't argue; I asked why you said what you did. And I did answer the question.

    Which is why I wonder why you brought it up. You made charges about legalism with no apparent basis.

    That wasn't in the statement. Go back to the first post on this page and read the statement I responded to. You quoted it and made a charge that it was legalistic. I wondered why.

    What are you complaining about? That a deacon was sent to pray for someone? Or "commanded to return to church" (whatever that means)? What do you not see as the role of a deacon? Visiting someone in the ER? Quite frankly, this is confusing. You bring up legalism, and then say that is not the topic.
     
  20. tinytim

    tinytim <img src =/tim2.jpg>

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    I used to be like HBSMN back when I was first called to preach..
    I thought I had to be in church everytime.. I even went so far as to tell my pregnant wife that if she went into labor on a night I had to preach her mom could take her to the hospital!!

    Then an older, more sensible preacher took me to the side, and said that unless the congregation respects their Pastor, they will not listen to what he has to say...

    The main point of preaching is for your message to be heard.
    And if others don't respect you, your message is useless.

    And if a pastor puts all the work off onto the deacons, the congregation will respect the deacons... but not listen to the pastor...

    A Pastor is to PASTOR not dictate orders to his slaves...
     
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