why do baptist have deacons and not elders

1 Timothy 3:8-13. The governance of each church is arranged with a system of checks and balances so that undue power is never given to one office or individual. Although specific personal and spiritual qualifications must be met by those in the offices of elder and deacon, that doesnt mean that the standard is lower for anyone else in the congregation. By making sure our widows and shut-ins were cared for, Carlos and his team freed up the elders to prioritize the ministry of the word and prayer. First Timothy 6:9 says such a desire for financial gain corrupts a man. This is what Paul had to say about deaconesses: They must be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things (v. 11). What kind of service is implied in the use of the Greek word for deacon? Why Do Churches Need Deacons? | Crossway Articles He seems to be saying, I write to the whole church, including the leadership and those who follow or serve.. A conservative estimate would put the church size in excess of 20,000 people at that time. We must realize that by the time we come to Philippians 1:1, we have already seen many uses of the Greek words diakonos, diakone, and diakonia with no reference to a specific church office. Next, deacons are not addicted to much wine. [5] Paul spoke directly to the elders in Acts[6] and warned them to "be on guard for themselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. It is clear in both of those verses that the reference is to people who actually serve tables. Baptist beliefs are not completely consistent from one church to another, as Baptists do not have a central governing authority. In contrast, Elders concentrate on spiritual teaching and preaching the Word. Thus, a crisis that demanded immediate action developed, calling for men of great integrity. The apostles were devoted "to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (v. 4). Epaphras. An Elder in the Lutheran Church is a position of lay-service, concerned with the temporal and administrative affair of the congregation. Baptists are traditionally strong believers in Biblical authority. waxing philosophical about technology and warning, Two men live radically different lives. Should we select elders by the same method? Two Church Officers: Pastors and Deacons | Beliefs, polity, ministries Witnesses consider the office of elder to be the same as that referred to in the Bible as "older man" ("presbyter"), overseer ("bishop"), and shepherd ("pastor") but do not use any of the terms as titles. To protect the priority of teaching and preaching, they offered a practical solution: Pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty (Acts 6:3). This solution pleased the whole congregation (Acts 6:5) and allowed the apostles to prioritize preaching and prayer (Acts 6:4). As the Apostles devoted themselves to prayer, they also devoted themselves to the ministry of the word (6:4). We hear about grace and think it is licentiousness. However, Baptists do hold some common beliefs among almost all Baptist churches. Its possible she served in an official capacity as a deaconess at the church in Cenchrea. Ehrman, Bart. All elders are members of the Kirk session, and may train to chair the session, conduct funerals, preach and lead worship.[50]. Note that all seven of the men who were chosen had Greek names. How much authority should a pastor have over a church? Christadelphians do not appoint any form of clergy. The apostles served through the ministry of the word and prayer. We sent you an email. Notice that the word task is used in verse 3. Phone . _, _ That there is no warrant whatever for assigning to Deacons the function of government in the Church; and that their undertaking any such function, is nothing less than ecclesiastical usurpation. The Greek word for dignity is semnos, which means venerable, honorable, reputable, grave, serious, and stately. The same Greek word appears in Titus 2:2, which says that older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance (emphasis added). The title deacon seems to have as many different connotations as there are churches to bestow it. Our Lord said, Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:2628). Registered User The two concepts may be conflated in everyday conversation (for example, a lay elder in the Baptist tradition may be referred to as "clergy", especially in America). The apostles recognized the scope of the problem, and realized that they needed to solve it without sacrificing their own valuable time and priorities. The term emphasizes the elder as one who tends, feeds, guides, protects and cares for his flock. When the practical needs of the church threatened to overwhelm the apostles time, the deacons stepped in to care for those needs. If elders are more like the apostles, then they must give themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word. In the majority of the references, the word for elders is plural and word for church is singular,[21][22] suggesting that the pattern in the early church was for a plurality of elders in each local church. So the answer to Chapman's question is "yes." The scriptural officers of the church are "pastors and deacons." Nevertheless, the Bible teaches us that those "pastors" are also "elders." To say that a "pastor" is an "elder" is not a Calvinist distinctive. [9] In the Septuagint, the word for Old Testament elders is (presbuteros), as used in the New Testament for both Christian and Jewish leaders. Finally, Paul said that deacons should not be fond of gain. Peter didnt come up with this answer on his own. And when it comes to the church offices of deacon and elder, we can experience a similar difficulty in seeing the differences. We read a lot about what qualifies a man to be a deacon, but little about how deacons are to minister in their role as part of a local church. John Meyendorff, The Primacy of Peter: Essays in Ecclesiology and the Early Church(St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1992), p. 135136. The point there is that all Christians are involved in some form of service. Other pairs of elders and eldresses headed groups of Shaker communities, while others were spiritual leaders of smaller groups within the communities. This means that they must be worthy of respect, serious minded, not treating serious things lightly. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. For example, some say that Romans 12 contains a reference to the office of deacon: Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly if service, in his serving (vv. Why the Church Must Have Elders - Christicommunity Charleston Baptist Church 13 San Miguel Road Charleston, SC 29407. Paul listed four personal qualifications. After clicking 'Register', you will receive an email with a link to verify your account and to complete your registration. While these seven men arent called deacons, they certainly served in a diaconal role. Clearly deacons, whose office is generally agreed to have originated in Acts 6 in caring for the widows in Jerusalem, are to lift the hands of the elders in caring primarily for the physical needs of the church. Third, a deacon must be morally pure in every way, just as an elder is. These were to be shepherds to their flock, setting an example[25] - just like shepherds, they were to feed their flock,[26] to work hard among them and to reprove where necessary[27] and to care for the spiritual and physical needs of church members. If there had been an officially constituted deaconate in Acts 6 with a continuing responsibility to distribute goods to the needy, the church at Antioch would have sent their contribution to that group. From the testimony of the rest of the New Testament, we can see how deacons are differentiated from the overseers or elders. Serving Food. There are two key passages dealing with the qualifications of elders in the New Testament, 1Timothy 3:17 and Titus 1:69. So in the church, there is a plurality of godly menthe elderswho oversee the work of those who serve the Lord. Baptists believe that the Bible is the only authority because it is divinely inspired or has a divine nature. A: Being a "shock absorber." In Acts 6, the seven were not deployed merely to solve a culinary quibble. Our heavenly Father revealed to him and the other apostles that Jesus was the promised King who would save his people from their sins (v. 17). In many congregations, elders are also charged with oversight of the pastor but exercising only that oversight given to every Christian in the congregation. Carlos and his team were so effective that it became common for an elder to make a hospital visit only to learn that Carlos and Josie had already been there. They seem to have taken that number from the seven chosen in Acts 6. Elder (or Presbyteros, in the Greek) serving as a synonym for "Pastor" or "Priest", not unlike how Lutheran teaching also recognizes "episkopos" (Greek, meaning overseer), or bishop to be yet another synonym. The qualifications for deacons can be divided into two categories: personal character and spiritual character. Click here to purchase this as a booklet. Food was the occasion, sure, but it wasn't the deepest problem. "Elder" was the only honorific title used to distinguish church leadership during the formative years of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 1:5)? Should a Church Have Elders? : 9Marks Opinion Justin L. Addington. All who repent and believe the good news about Jesus are to be baptized and gathered into local churches. The other gifts listed in Romans 12 dont involve offices. The question that comes up now is this: Were the seven men listed in Acts 6:5 fulfilling an office of deacon? 4:4, 1011). They are ordained for life by the minister and Kirk Session of a parish, and carry out pastoral and local church government duties under the guidance of the minister. The Lord Jesus Himself, then, is the model for those who would step into the deacons role. In the Eucharist, the Elder may assist in the distribution. So the pastors live according to and teach all that Jesus commanded, the church members obey all that Jesus commanded, and in this way unbelievers are brought to faith and the church is built up to look more like Jesus. Why is it that we have more than one deacon in most churches but not more than one elder/pastor? Answering the Key Questions About Deacons - Grace to You The ministry of a deacon is so different from church to church that when a person says he is a deacon, you usually have to ask several questions to find out what, if anything, it is he actually does. We confuse laws with principles of wisdom. How can it be known that the word deacon in 1 Timothy 3 does not refer to servants in a general sense, as so many other passages do? _, _ That Deacons ought to be ORDAINED by the imposition of hands. Each circuit overseer visits the congregations in his jurisdiction twice each year. Send your questions about how to apply your faith to btillman@hsutx.edu.. News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world. Elder is the proper title given to all holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood. Deaconing is not for the faint of heart. It is a role of service, of sacrifice, and of commitment to others needs. Scripturally organized churches have deacons, but only if they also have elders. Because Jesus is King, we are to go into the world under his authority and with his presence to preach his gospel. The evangelist and the elders have the spiritual oversight of the congregation (e.g., withdrawing fellowship from a member who the elders consider to be wayward in doctrine or refuses to abide by the elders' counsel or decision in a matter) as well as administrative oversight (e.g., overseeing the congregation budget). 6. The remaining nineteen times the word is employed in Acts and the Epistles, it identifies the leaders in the local churches of the New Testament. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.. There are many pragmatic reasons why a church might have elders. We use it equally to describe a slave who serves his master, or a king who serves his people. Acts 6 is also a compelling picture for why the church needs deacons. Since God rules his people by his Word, elders must be faithful to proclaim the Word to God's people. They play a vital role in making sure local churches keep gospel-preaching at the heart of their mission. Some believe that Paul was a deacon. He was calling himself a servant of God in a general sense. Ironic is it not? Register. Congregations referring to themselves as Churches of Christ believe that local congregations should be led by a plurality of biblically qualified elders. That suggests the seven men were called to help take care of a one-time crisis, not necessarily installed into a permanent office. Myth #2: Deacons are spreadsheet wizards or handymen. [36][37] Writing c.199, Tertullian claimed that Clement was ordained by Peter himself as bishop of Rome,[38] and although tradition identifies him as the fourth pope (after Linus and Anacletus) the order is much disputed. In Romans 15:25, Paul wrote, Now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. He identified himself as a servant (diakonos). Situations like this, though common, do violence to the role of deacons, often preventing churches from pursuing a healthy, elder-led structure. What example do we have, in the Bible, of selecting church leaders (Acts 6:1-6)? 2006. We see this clearly in Acts 6. They performed their duties with joy and took their role seriously, knowing they were doing Gods work and God would reward them. More than a few leaders are questioning whether Southern Baptists have been practicing the right method of church governance (pastor, deacons, and congregational authority) In such cases, what is true of elders would apply here as well. Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign to the Church and to the world of Christ,who came "to serve and not to be served." The entire Church is called by Christ to serve, and the deacon, in virtue of his sacramental ordination and through his various ministries, is to be a servant in a servant-Church. Although practices in the Presbyterian Church vary internationally, typically the church recognises three offices within church polity: the minister (alternately "teaching elder" or "pastor"), a bench of ruling elders, and deacons. The Greek words diakonos, diakone, and diakonia have just as wide a variety of meanings, but in general they refer to any kind of service that supplies the need of another person. As you might expect, the church experienced some growing pains, and a conflict emerged. The churchs solution to the problem is described in Acts 11:2930: In the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. The deacons role is one of administration, shepherding, and caring for the flock. Clearly deacons, whose office is generally agreedto have originated in Acts 6 in caring for the widows in Jerusalem, are to lift the hands of the elders in caring primarily for the physical needs of the church. Women are typically not eligible to teach in formal gatherings of the ecclesia when male believers are present, and do not sit on the main committees, however they do participate in other ecclesial and inter-ecclesial committees. Another of the Apostolic Fathers, Ignatius of Antioch, records that many churches had single bishops by the beginning of the second century, although the church at Rome was not one of them. They are always consistent and righteous in what they say. He gently reminded her that the pastor could not be all things to all memberswe established deacons to make sure she was cared for. Members of the Rastafari Movement often refer to their experienced members as elders, such as Joseph Hibbert, Vernon Carrington, Leonard Howell, and Mortimer Planno. Apart from these there is not even the name of a church. [49][full citation needed], Governance in the Church of Scotland is based on presbyterian polity. They relieve those who are more skilled in teaching to be free to pray and study to teach. The persecution of Christians in Jerusalem may have scattered the whole group. A passage where both the original and the general usage of the word appear is Luke 22:27. Therefore, they must be men whose goals in life are not monetary. Do we have a command or example for the method of appointing elders (Acts 14:23; 20:28; Tit. Its one that Ive had the privilege of witnessing firsthand in my own life and ministry. When one of our elders made a pastoral visit to a shut-in, she beamed as she described how Carlos and his team had visited her regularly and cared for her well. And since there are no comments about the wives of elders, why would there be any comments about the wives of deacons? From Acts 20:19 we learn that he kept busy serving [diakone] the Lord with all humility.. Elders serve the word to the sheep under their care. 1. As with any confusion, the best place to return for clarity is to the Scriptures. are not functioning as they should. There is great flexibility in the church organization because God knew that situations and needs would be diverse culturally and historically. [13][14], The modern English words "priest" or "presbyter" are derived etymologically from presbyteros. Each body of elders has a Coordinator (previously known as the Presiding Overseer), a Secretary, and a Service Overseer. Many churches have "deacons" who function as a board of direc-tors, telling the pastor how he should be running the church. Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource. Poimen (, Greek word #4166 in Strong's Concordance) means shepherd,[19] also translated as pastor. Barry the old guy is still uncomfortable with technology, especially when Paul was an apostlehe spent much of 2 Corinthians 1012 emphasizing that point. Paul said to the Ephesians, [So] that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister [diakonos] in the Lord, will make everything known to you (Ephesians 6:21). Representatives of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses select elders to be appointed as circuit overseers, (also referred to as traveling overseers). Collectively, however, their "college" is referred to as the "presbyterium" (meaning "council of elders"), "presbytery", or "presbyterate.". Since the early days of the Baptist movement, various denominations have adopted common confessions of faith as the basis for cooperative work among churches. Right or Wrong? Indeed, even a Methodist Bishop is still an Elder who has been elected and consecrated by the laying on of hands to the office of Bishop (Bishop being understood as an office within the Presbyterate, not an order or separate level of ordination). Read verse 8: Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain. An interpretive key to this verse is the word likewise. Johnson, the first president of the Southern Baptist Convention, which refers to a plurality of elders in most Baptist churches of the South. Personal character. How did the church respond to this crisis? A second spiritual qualification for deacons is given in verse 10: These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. They must be men already tested and proved to be faithful. 7. Was Paul saying that the household of Stephanas was a family of officially titled deacons? In the way the words are often used in Acts and the epistles, a believer in any form of ministry could be called the servant, or deacon, of Christ. The Deacon's Role at Baptisms - The Deacon Paul. Elders (overseers) and pastors (local shepherds) became traditional roles, but another role developed the deacon although some argue it's not a specific role. SDA nomenclature has never used the terms, priest, reverend or clergy as honorific titles or as work titles. [60] Mrs. White, as in, Elder and Mrs. James White, is how the church's prophet, Ellen G. White, was universally referred to up until the late 20th century. I do not wish to denigrate the traditions and decisions of others, but I do want to lay out the case for deacons in the church. One of the key distinctions of Plymouth Brethren churches is the total rejection of the concept of clergy. Peters mother-in-law waited on both Christ and Peter; we assume, on the basis of the fundamental meaning of the word.