Deacons: Roles, Requirements, and Responsibilities

The following essay is a white paper—a report on a specific topic. Authored by AJ Garcia, in consultation and with affirmation from the Elders.

The Ground on Which We Build

All things in life, especially that which pertains to the government of Christ’s church, should be firstly and finally consulted with Scripture. “How, Lord, do you wish to govern us?” is the most important question worth asking. Then, and only after, should we consider various questions like: “Practically, how will we go about implementing this?” or “Emotionally, who will feel most strongly for or against this and how will that affect me?” or “Politically, how will this gel in the court of public opinion?” or even “Personally, what do I think about it?”

West Side established the office of deacons in 2022. Since then, it has been open to qualified men and women as laid out in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. In a recent elder meeting, when reviewing deacon roles and requirements, we read this passage to refresh our minds and hearts on what God wants the office of deacon to be. When we got to 1 Timothy 3:12, we paused. Paul writes, “Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.” 

While the prior qualifications are clear that elders are to be men, there is not the same clarity for women deacons. The primary question we wish to answer is: Are women allowed to be deacons? In this essay, we will take the opportunity to expand on what the qualifications and expectations of the diaconate (office of deacons) are. But before we do that, it is right to acknowledge that the heart of these elders is to be faithful to God’s word. 

The position of our church continues to be that the office of deacons is open to qualified men and women as laid out in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. To explain our position, we will first offer a negative defense by answering potential criticism, then we will offer a positive defense by examining Scripture.

Shaky Ground We Steered Clear From

Here are five motivations that did not contribute to this decision: 

1. Sticking to the status quo. There can be a strong desire to not change something because “it’s what we’ve always done.” Tradition, ease, or familiarity all contribute to this. However, that is not a good enough reason to keep deacons the way they are at West Side just because we’ve always done it that way. 

2. Pleasing those in agreement. The temptation here is to keep pleasing those who agree and to not be problematic. It’s safe to assume the members of West Side are on board with our current position on deacons, so why question it? Well, that is not a good enough reason to stay the same just because some like it how it currently is.

3. Appeasing the crowd. Like above, this temptation is to cave to outside pressure. But instead of those in the church we are pleasing, it is those in the crowd. We might forsake our faithfulness to Scripture in order to maintain our reputation with man. Or we might lower our standards so that we have better curb appeal to those shopping for a church. What God says is of utmost importance; not how the crowds feel.

4. Enabling a feminist agenda. By “feminist agenda,” we mean the ideology that works to flatten or erase the distinct roles between men and women. This worldview would readily toss away “archaic biblical restriction” and embrace modern cultural norms. To ignore God’s good and right design of authority and leadership by forcing or coercing women to lead in ways God has expressly prohibited. The fear with implementing (or even acknowledging) this would be to suffer the scorn of the offended. This is not a good enough reason to have women deacons.

5. Neglecting a difficult decision. Lastly, we may be tempted to never question whether our current position on deacons is the most biblically faithful position because of how difficult of a conversation it would be. We may resort to abdication or negligence because we’d prefer the easy road. However, elders are called by God to lead the church, feed the sheep, and teach the saints. That is not easy work. Therefore, this topic being difficult is not a good enough reason to keep things how they are.

What is the motivation behind asking the question and publishing this essay, especially since we land at the same position as before? Biblical faithfulness—start to finish. While it may seem like a simple issue, it is not. We admit that God’s word is not explicitly clear on this topic like it is with the role of male elders. Additionally, we recognize the sensitivity of such a topic, which could very well cause some members to recoil, scoff, or flee. Still, we wish to diligently seek counsel from the Holy Spirit and guidance through the Holy Scriptures. 

To better understand the role and requirements for deacons, we must consider four passages of Scripture: Philippians 1:1, Acts 6:1-6, 1 Timothy 3:8-13, and Romans 16:1.

Our decision to affirm women deacons came not from a fear of woman, nor a dread of change, nor an ease of burden, but from a biblical and historical examination. Whatever God says, we will do. This is good and right, and we pray will glorify the Lord and edify the saints.

Deacons Are Not Elders

Paul writes in Philippians 1:1, “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.” Paul does not explain what deacons do, but he does indicate that they are different from overseers (elders). This is supported by the separate lists of qualification for elders (1 Timothy 3:1-7) versus deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-13).

An elder is a Christian man, qualified by Scripture, who is called by God to lead the church in teaching, counseling, correcting, and leading the church. It is likened to shepherds and their sheep in Acts 20. They have the joyful burden to study God’s word and teach sound doctrine, to care for suffering saints, to exhort and admonish sheep when they are wrong, and to exemplify godly Christian behavior so that those under their care will follow them and become more like Christ. Deacons do not have this responsibility. Kevin DeYoung notes, “The deacon (diakonos) is a servant who labors, alongside the elders in caring for the tangible needs of the body. The Greek word diakonas has the broad meaning of servant. The verb diakoneo means “to serve,” with an emphasis on practical, hands-on assistance.”[1]

Deacons are similar to elders in that they are another ecclesiastical office. As DeYoung says, they care for the church in many ways, but it is important to note that they are different ways. Acts 6 is the clearest example of this. The disciples (elders) admitted: “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables” (Acts 6:2). Some may unfairly criticize the disciples for being arrogant or lazy. However, the point is that there is elder work, and there is deacon work. Elders are dedicated to “praying and preaching” (Acts 6:4). Deacons are established in Acts 6 to relieve the elders from non-elder duties so that they can “devote themselves” to elder work.

What Do Deacons Do?

If you were hoping to find a job description for deacons in Scripture, you will not find it. It is an ambiguous role, which allows for flexibility and customization for each local church. The benefit to such ambiguity is that, since body life matures over time, the needs of the church change as well. What a freshly planted church needs from their deacons (children’s ministry director, logistical coordination for rented spaces, etc.) is not necessarily what an established church needs (global missions, facilities manager, etc.). Although there is surely overlap.

In Deacons, Matt Smethurst argues that “diaconal work encompasses three things in the life of a church: (1) spotting and meeting tangible needs, (2) protecting and promoting church unity, and (3) serving and supporting the ministry of the elders.”[2] Smethurst writes, “Biblical deacons, then, are like a congregation’s offensive linemen, whose job it is to protect the quarterback. They rarely get attention, much less credit, but their labors are utterly indispensable for both guarding and advancing the ministry of the Word. Without effective deacons, elders will suffer incessant distractions and get sacked by an onrush of practical demands.”[3]

We are given an example of this in Acts 6:1-6. While these men were not technically called deacons, many commentators refer to them as “proto-deacons” since the noun diakonos (the office of deacon) is not found in the passage, but the verb diakoneo (to serve) is. In verse 2, the disciples said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.” Elders should not give up elder things to do deacon things. This does not mean that elders are supreme while deacons are subordinate. Rather, they are distinct roles. Wayne Grudem observes, “The apostles who ruled over the Jerusalem church found it necessary to delegate some administrative responsibilities to others. In this case, the responsibilities included the distribution of food to widows who were in need.”[4] This was a tangible need in the Jerusalem Church which, prior to Acts 6, fell on the shoulders of the disciples/apostles/elders. The widows were being overlooked. Someone needed to take care of them. Ultimately, it was the responsibility of the elders as they led the church. However, they cannot do everything. Therefore, they established the office of deacons.

At West Side, there are all sorts of tangible needs that we pray will be met with qualified, joyful, and gifted deacons. Hospitality, security, men’s, women’s, children’s, medical, local outreach, global missions, facilities, and more. As we continue to preach the gospel in Northern Michigan, we will need to make, mature, and multiply deacons to serve the church.

Women Deacons or Not?

Before answering this question, we must again acknowledge the motivation behind it. If we are employing women deacons only because we do not wish to offend the women in our church, that is a poor reason. Not because we do not wish to love our women, but because we all, men and women included, should desire firstly to submit under the authority of Scripture. As we do that, we can gladly affirm male headship in the home and the church. God has designed men to lead the family as husband. God has designed qualified men to lead the church as elder. Fathers are not mothers, but a healthy family needs both. In the same way, elders are not deacons, but a healthy church needs both. 

Look at 1 Timothy 3:12. The verse that catapulted this essay. Let us read it in context: 

“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 (gynaikas) likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife (gynaikas), 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).

The question is whether the Greek word gynaikas translates best to wives or women. It means both, therefore, the question is context. If Paul means the wives of deacons, then we should affirm male-only deacons and rearrange our church government to align best with Scripture, regardless of how painful and bothersome that may be. However, we are not convinced of that. Shreiner notes, “[Paul] could have made this clear in Greek by adding the word “their” (autōn) or “their own” (idiōn). But he doesn’t add these words, and the word used in Greek for “women” (gynaikas) does not necessarily mean wives. Whether it means wives or women must be determined by context, and the context is talking about deacons.”

Additional context would show that gynaikas is used eight other times in 1 Timothy. The first five examples are in 2:9, 2:10, 2:11, 2:12, and 2:14, all of which are translated as “women” without dispute. More specifically, 1 Timothy 2:9 says, “women likewise” (gynaikas hosautos). This is the same phrase in 1 Timothy 3:11, so we should expect it to be understood the same way. Two more times is gynaikas used in 3:2 and 3:12. Smethurst notes, “Literally rendered, the phrase is just “one-woman man” (3:2) and “one-woman men” (3:12). Nothing about this qualification demands the translation “wife”; in fact, the slightly broader focus of “woman” helpfully encompasses more diaconal candidates, such as single men and widowers.”[5]

Some who hold to male-only deacons would point to 1 Timothy 2:12 as the reason why deacons should not be women. Paul writes, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” The tension can be resolved by carefully defining the nature of the diaconal role. Scripture consistently presents elders as those who teach and exercise governing authority over the church, while deacons are entrusted with service-oriented responsibilities that support and strengthen the ministry of the Word.

To be sure, many deacons will functionally “lead” in a limited and practical way—coordinating ministries, organizing volunteers, and overseeing specific areas of need. In that way, a deacon of local outreach or global missions may rightly be said to lead within a defined capacity. However, this kind of leadership is not the same as the authoritative, doctrinal, and governing leadership reserved for elders. Deacons do not teach the gathered church nor exercise spiritual oversight over the congregation; rather, they carry out their work under the authority and direction of the elders.

Tom Schreiner comments, “The office of deacon is one of service, not leadership. Two things are said about elders that are never said about deacons: 1) elders lead and exercise authority in the church (1 Tim. 3:4–5; 5:17; Titus 1:7); and 2) elders teach the gathered congregation (1 Tim. 3:2; 5:17; Titus 1:9). But deacons don’t do either of these things by virtue of their office, and so women deacons don’t contradict male leadership. Deacons serve, and women serve wonderfully in many churches as deacons.”[6] In this way, affirming women as deacons does not blur the distinction between the offices but preserves it: elders lead through teaching and authority; deacons serve through ministry and support. And where deacons do exercise initiative or coordination, it remains a derivative and delegated responsibility, not an exercise of pastoral authority over the church.

One example is Phoebe. Paul writes to the church in Rome, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae” (Romans 16:1). The ESV, CSB, KJV, and even The Message call Phoebe a “servant,” but the word is diakonos, which can also be rendered as “deacon.” Given the context, it would make more sense that Phoebe is not simply a helpful contributor to the church, but in the office of deacon at Cenchreae Church. What other reason would Paul specify the local assembly in which she is serving except to clarify which church she is holding office in? However, even if Paul intended to call her a regular servant, she is among a list of New Testament women who were used by God in wonderful ways. They are necessary and valuable to the life of the church.[7]While diakonos can refer to service in general, like how Paul calls the civil magistrate the “diakonos of God” in Romans 13, the combination of Phoebe’s formal commendation and church affiliation suggests that Paul is referring to the office of deacon in her local church. 

Deaconesses in Church History

While the affirmation of deaconesses has not been a majority position in church history, it has always been a legitimate position and is worth considering which well-respected men held to a female deacon position and how far back the belief has gone.[8]

1. Clement of Alexandria (AD 150-215), “We are also aware of all the things that the noble Paul prescribed on the subject of female deacons in 1 Timothy.” 

2. Origen of Alexandria (AD 184-253), “[Romans 16:1] teaches… two things: that there are… women deacons in the church, and that women, who have given assistance to so many people and who by their good works deserve to be praised by the apostle, ought to be accepted in the diaconate.” 

3. Olympias (AD 368-408), “Olympias, a widowed deaconess of the church in Constantinople, leveraged her immense wealth to become a generous patron of the church. She donated many of her estates to the church, supported the ministries of such church leaders as John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nazianzus, ransomed exiled captives, sustained a community of 250 virgins, and cared for the poor.”

4. Jerome (AD 347-420), “Salvina, however, consecrated herself to deeds of piety, and became one of Chrysostom’s deaconesses.”

5. John Calvin (AD 1509-1564), “Deaconesses were appointed, not to soothe God by chantings or unintelligible murmurs, and spend the rest of their time in idleness, but to perform public ministry of the church toward the poor, and to labor with all zeal, assiduity, and diligence, in offices of charity.”

6. Charles Spurgeon (AD 1834-1892), “Deaconesses, an office that most certainly was recognized in the apostolic churches.” 

Conclusion

We believe the church flourishes when men and women submit themselves under the authority of God’s word and align their lives according to it, not in opposition to it. The heart, home, church, and world were all created by God which means that they function best when they are ordered rightly. 

A home that has a passive husband and controlling wife is disordered and will not flourish. A church that has passive elders and controlling deacons is also disordered and will not flourish. We must consider what God has to say about all things, including the leadership of Christ’s church. Scripture first, everything else second. 

So, then, reconsider the question first asked: “How, Lord, do you wish to govern us?” Based on a broad examination of Scripture, we are convinced that the office of deacon is open to qualified men and women. We pray that God calls many of our brothers and sisters at West Side to serve this church in various deacon roles to the glory of the Lord and the good of the saints. That these deacons would imitate Christ, who is the model of all deacons: “The Son of Man came not to be served (diakoneo), but to serve (diakoneo)” (Mark 10:45). It is a high and holy calling. Smethurst says, “Jesus is both King of kings and Deacon of deacons.”[9]

Further Reading

• Deacons by Matt Smethurst

• What Do Deacons Do?by Juan Sanchez

• Daily Doctrine (pp. 334-335) by Kevin DeYoung

• Systematic Theology (pp. 1130-1131) by Wayne Grudem

• Does the Bible Allow for Women Deacons? No, Says Alex Strauch (with a Response from Tom Schreiner)

• Does the Bible Allow for Women Deacons? Yes, Says Tom Schreiner (with a Response from Alex Strauch)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Kevin DeYoung, Daily Doctrine, 334. 

[2] Matt Smethurst, Deacons, 74-84.

[3] Ibid, 75-76.

[4] Grudem, Systematic Theology, 1131.

[5] Smethurst, 143.

[6] Schreiner, “Does the Bible Allow for Women Deacons?”

[7] Excerpt from Feed My Sheep: The Church and Her Shepherds written by Pastor AJ.

[8] All these quotations are gathered from Smethurst’s book, Deacons. 

[9] Smethurst, 121.