Response:

In Acts 6, which is normally considered to be the beginning of the office of the deacon, the apostles told the congregation to "look ye out among you" for the men who were going to serve as deacons. I suppose this should be considered the Biblical model. However, I'm not sure that the average church member today is as committed as those church members were. They had sacrificed everything to be a follower of Christ, whereas today, church membership costs nothing and unfortunately means little more to many. Choosing officers can not become a personality contest, nor a decision based upon someone's intelligence or business savvy.

As a pastor, I have always had a hand in the choosing of the Deacons. I have not done this single-handedly, but with the assistance of my existing deacon board. We discuss as a group which men in the church are Biblically qualified, and once we agree on that, then we approach them individually about being nominated to serve. If they agree, then the congregation gets to vote whether or not they wish to have them serve in that capacity. I take no nominations from the floor. While this helps to protect the church, it also helps to protect potential unqualified nominees. If Bro. Jones gets nominated from the floor, and I personally know that Bro. Jones isn't qualified, then I would have to speak up about it in the business meeting. I wouldn't want to do that, and I'm sure Bro. Jones wouldn't want me to do that.

We do post the list of nominees at least two weeks in advance of the business meeting so people have an opportunity to consider each man, and pray for God's direction. Also, if there was something unknown to us that would disqualify one of the nominees, this gives a church member the opportunity to approach us before the meeting, so that the name can be removed. I also have the deacons rotate off for one year at the end of their term. While I may lose a good deacon for a year (although men can still serve the Lord regardless of whether or not they have a title), it does get bad deacons off, and they will not be re-nominated the next time they are eligible. May I add that if my church constitution was set up in such a way as to have a trustee board that was separate from the deacons (as mine was in a former church), I would insist that all those men measured up to the qualifications of a deacon. God only gave two sets of qualifications for leadership, one for pastors, and one for everyone else.

I'm not sure that Christ's choosing of the disciples fits in here. He was teaching them, and preparing them for carrying out the ministry after His return to Heaven. I'm not sure that is the same as being a deacon. Deacons are to already be full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. I don't think that could be said of Peter or Thomas at the beginning, and certainly not of Judas.

By Dr Mark Montgomery Ambassador Baptist Church 1926 Babcock Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15209 (412)477-3210