Elders and Deacons

“A bishop [elder], then, must be…Deacons likewise must be…” (I Timothy 3:1-13). God’s Word clearly instructs us concerning the qualifications of elders and deacons. We are left with no doubt what qualities we should seek in those whom we appoint to serve as leaders of the church. These qualifications can be found in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1. But sometimes the question is raised concerning the roles and responsibilities of these two offices. Do the terms “elder” and “deacon” refer to the same office? Or are they two distinct offices each with their own area of responsibility?

Well, such questions should be answered scripturally. And to be clear on this matter is important for our church so that we are not hindered in our efforts to effectively minister to the glory of God.

First, let’s consider the elder. The New Testament also refers to this office as bishop, overseer and pastor. A church may have one pastor or several depending on the needs of the congregation. The primary responsibility of the elder/pastor is proclaiming the Word of God. Ephesians 4:11 speaks of those who are “pastors and teachers”. The Apostle Paul taught Pastor Timothy that “a bishop then must be…able to teach” (I Tim. 3:2). In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he urged the young pastor to “Preach the Word!” (II Tim. 4:1-5). We also learn that elders are to watch over the spiritual welfare of the church. They are to “hold fast the faithful word” (Titus 1:9); “they watch out for your souls” (Hebrews 13:17); and the Apostle Peter instructs the elders in his first epistle to “Shepherd the flock of God” (I Peter 5:1-4). Finally, elders are responsible for the administration – or oversight – of the church’s overall ministry. This begins with effective oversight of his own home. “He must be one who manages his own household well…if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?” (I Tim. 3:4-5).

Second, we have the office of deacon. The word deacon means servant. The only place in the New Testament where we find any description of the responsibilities of this office is found in Acts 6:1-4. In this passage we find that the Apostles were becoming overwhelmed with the job of caring for the church in Jerusalem (a church of several thousand members). Some widows “were being overlooked in the daily serving of food” (Acts 6:1). So, the Apostles instructed the church to appoint men who would serve the church by caring for the needs of the members, especially watching out for those who may otherwise be neglected (such as widows and the elderly). The purpose of establishing the office of deacon was to alleviate the Apostles so that they could devote themselves “to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). We can logically conclude from this passage that the role of deacon is to assist the pastor/elder in ministering to the needs of the church so that the pastor (or pastors) is not overwhelmed.
The biblical example of the role of deacon is brief thus allowing each church to function as needed. The church’s size, location (and the time period in which it exists), all present different needs and circumstances. The deacon’s responsibility is simply to serve the church by helping the pastor. Here at Immanuel Baptist Church we have several offices established to help care for the specific needs of our congregation. The deacons serve most closely with the pastor to serve the Lord’s Supper and meet the spiritual and material needs of the members. We also have deaconesses, trustees and our finance team who all fulfill the role of “deacon” (servant) in various ways so that the ministry of our church is accomplished “being fitted together…growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:21-22).