OF THE BISHOP OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

BISHOP MICHAEL D. JOHNSON D.DIV.

Study Guide on the

“Episcopacy of the Permanent Diaconate”

The restoration of the diaconate as a permanent ministry in the

Church at large following the decline and egregious changes in

there ministry is seen as “a great and visible sign of the working

of the Holy Spirit.” Over the years, much has been written about

the essential identity, role and ministry of the permanent deacon

in the life of the Church. There is no doubt that the restoration of

the permanent diaconate has been a source of tremendous grace

and blessings for the Church. Alongside such blessings,

however, there have been some misunderstandings and

misinterpretations of the essential identity of the permanent

deacon that have led to some confusion regarding his ministerial

role in the life and mission of the Church.

The Episcopal Academy seeks to restore this essential teaching

and understanding back to the church so that the Ecclesia will be

the grateful beneficiary of the restoration of this ministry. Since

the time of the Apostles to the Apostolic Fathers, the church has

always had Permanent Deacons. We give thanks to God for

them and their ministry. Our churches, however, has not been

spared some of the same misunderstandings, misinterpretations

and confusion that have been evident in the catholic church.

To help study and address some of these important issues

surrounding the life and ministry of the permanent deacon, a

Diaconate Study began in January of 2018 to lay out a vision for

the future teaching of the permanent diaconate in the Church of

God. The principal task of this Study was to address the

following issues and questions:

The biblical historical foundation of the permanent deacon

The essential identity of the permanent deacon in the life of

the catholic church.

The essential role of the permanent deacon in the local

church, dioceses and within the National and International

Reformation.

The qualifications and qualities needed in those men and

women recruited for the permanent diaconate.

The formation process for the permanent diaconate.

Particular issues and concerns that have been encountered

in light of the experience of the permanent diaconate.

The Episcopal Academies work evolved and resulted in

thoughtful and meaningful discussions and conclusions

regarding this important ministry in the life of the Church. The

fruit of the Episcopal Academies year long work is presented

here. These reflections and conclusions should in no way be

seen as a criticism of the history of the diaconate in the local

church. Rather, they should be seen as a maturing of our

understanding of the diaconate in light of that history and

experience.

First Things First

Because leadership is always so determinative on the well being

and spiritual growth of the body of Christ, one of the first things

the Apostle Paul saw to was the appointment of elders and

deacons to assist them, in every church as under-shepherds of

God’s people (Act 14:23; Tit. 1).

Two key New Testament passages (1 Tim. 3:1-13 and Tit. 1:5-9)

provide us with the essential qualifications that such men must

demonstrate in order to be qualified to serve the local church.

Rather than a detailed exegesis of all the qualifications of these

two passages, the purpose of this study is to provide a brief

overview of the qualifications for study and reflection in coming

to grips with the main concepts in preparation for evaluating

possible candidates for the offices of elders and deacons.

In addition, there are a number of crucial principles that I have

found very important for understanding and applying these

biblical texts which set forth these qualifications. These are

concepts that are pertinent to the passages in view because they

have their roots in the New Testament as a whole and bear

directly on what the Bible says about leadership.

Understanding and Applying the Qualifications of Elders

and Deacons

The Nature of the Qualifications

An important question that needs to be asked and answered

pertains to the exact nature of these qualifications. What exactly

are these qualifications?

(1) They are moral qualities or qualities of high moral character.

But they are more.

(2) They are the marks of leadership, marks which demonstrate

a man’s capacity to lead others in the Christian life.

(3) As those qualities that mark a man for leadership, they are

primarily the marks of spiritual maturity, the marks of one who

has grown in Christ and has experienced the life-changing

power of the Lord through the ministry of the Spirit of God and

the Word of God.

Primarily they are marks of maturity. This certainly fits the

context which warns against choosing a “new convert”;

1 Timothy 3:6 King James Version (KJV)

6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the

condemnation of the devil.

But by way of further definition there are three more things

about these qualifications as marks of maturity that are

important in grasping the nature of these qualifications.

What It Means to Aspire to the Office of Overseer

1 Timothy 3:1 New International Version (NIV)

3 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an

overseer desires a noble task.

Paul’s statement about aspiring to the office of overseer may

sound strange to many. The Office of the Overseer, although

distinct and separate from the Deacon, work out of the same

premise of the word of God. They both serve at the request of

their episcopal leaders. In plain and simple terms this involves a

form of ambition, an aspiration, a drive, a target to shoot at. But

what exactly does this mean?

“Aspire” is a very strong word. In the Greek text, it’s the middle

voice of “orego” which means “to stretch yourself out, to

personally reach out for,” and so it came to mean “to aspire.” In

plain and simple terms, it refers to ambition, to that which drives

or motivates a person. Ambition comes from a Latin

“wormeaning” “canvassing for promotion.”

In our day, ambition is usually connected with some form of

self-seeking motivated by selfish desires. It generally refers to a

person with some very self-centered, hidden agendas. Such

ambition in leaders and in any Christian is a curse to be avoided

because servants with such agendas will always end up

manipulating and using others for selfish ends.

Aspiring deacons must follow the warning the prophet Jeremiah

gave to Baruch in Jeremiah 45:5, “Are you seeking great things

for yourself? Do not seek them.”

But there is a biblical and sanctified ambition and one that is

essential to good leadership, one that is a mark of maturity, a

mark that should be a part of each of our lives. So, what is

biblical ambition?

(1) It is an ambition that has been cleansed of self-seeking, one

that seeks only the glory of God and the well being of others.

(2) It is an ambition that seeks not position, praise, power,

prestige, or popularity, but service to God and ministry to men.

(3) It is an ambition that has at its center the three important Es

which define the purpose of the church: the Exaltation of God,

the Edification of the body of Christ, and the Evangelization of

the lost.

Why? How? Because if we are truly maturing in Christ, we

should be learning to seek our security, significance, and

satisfaction from the Lord rather than from people, position,

power, and praise, etc. For a beautiful commentary on this study

read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20.

1 Thessalonians 2 New International Version (NIV)

2 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not

without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated

outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our

God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong

opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from

error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On

the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be

entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people

but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used

flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is

our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not

from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we

could have asserted our authority. 7 Instead, we were like

young children[a] among you. Just as a nursing mother cares

for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you

so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the

gospel of God but our lives as well. 9 Surely you remember,

brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night

and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we

preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and

so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were

among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with

each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12

encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of

God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. 13 And we also

thank God continually because, when you received the word of

God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human

word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at

work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters,

became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in

Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same

things those churches suffered from the Jews 15 who killed the

Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They

displease God and are hostile to everyone 16 in their effort to

keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be

saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit.

The wrath of God has come upon them at last. 17 But,

brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being

separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought),

out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. 18

For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again

and again—but Satan blocked our way. 19 For what is our

hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the

presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20

Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

With all this in mind, let’s note two things about 1 Tim. 3. First,

notice that Paul does not use the term elder in this passage, and

that is significant. Acts 20 clearly shows that the words elder

and overseer refer to the same office. Elders are the overseers,

for Acts 20 elders are defined as overseers (cf. Acts 20:17 with

vs. 28).

What’s the difference between the two terms?

(1) The term elder, stresses the dignity and position of this

ministry in the church.

(2) On the other hand, overseer stresses the function and work of

an elder.

In 1 Tim. 3:1, Paul carefully chose to use episkope, the “office

or charge of oversight.” But why? Because this word stresses the

ministry function and nature of this office as a charge from God

and not the element of position.

God is not looking for men who are aspiring for position. Jesus

made this clear to the disciples. The church needs men who want

to serve the body for the glory of God and the blessing of others.

Second, note the next statement of verse one. “It is a fine work

he desires to do.” Underline the word work. Work is the Greek

ergon which means “work, deed, action, task, enterprise,

undertaking.”

The emphasis is clearly not on aspiring to a position or a place

of prestige, but on the function and work of overseeing, an

aspiration which is to have its root in godly and pastoral love for

the well-being of God’s people rather than personal and selfish

agendas. It is this that Paul asserts as trustworthy or honorable.

It should be our prayer that we all would set our sights on

spiritual maturity, but as we do, let’s be careful of our motives.

The purpose of maturity is not to make us more comfortable and

secure, or land us with a position in the church. Its purpose is to

make us more like the Lord Jesus and effective as servants in a

lost and dying world.

Oswald Sanders, in his classic book on leadership entitled

Spiritual Leadership, has some fitting remarks:

“The true spiritual leader is concerned infinitely more with the

service he can render God and his fellowmen than with the

benefits and pleasures he can extract from life. He aims to put

more into life than he takes out of it.”

The greatest need is not for leaders, but for saints and servants.

Unless that is held in the foreground of our thinking, the whole

idea of leadership and leadership training becomes dangerous.

The Principle of the Relative Nature of the Marks of

Maturity

If a man is honest about his life on the inside, when he reads

these qualifications his response may be, “who can ever truly be

qualified? Who can completely fulfill all these qualifications?”

And these kinds of feelings will often cause a man to shrink

back from what could be God’s will when he very well may be

qualified.

The principle is simply this: No one is perfect. No one, other

than the Lord Jesus, ever hits the direct center of the bull’s eye.

In fact, I am convinced no one ever really gets close enough to

hit the bull’s eye.

You see, one of the most fundamental principles of Scripture is

that we all fall short of God’s glory and perfection. While godly

maturity and Christlikeness should be the goal or target of every

believer and while one of the goals of every ministry and its

leadership should be to bring its people into higher and higher

stages of godly maturity Colossians 1:28 New International

Version (NIV)

28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching

everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone

fully mature in Christ., still, no matter how mature or how

godly one becomes, none of us even comes close to perfection.

Do you remember David’s plea in Psalm 143:3? David, a man

after God’s own heart and a leader of God’s people, when

praying for God’s help said: “And do not enter into judgment

with Thy servant, For in Thy sight no man living is righteous.”

Paul also brought out this truth in Philippians 3:10-16 New

International Version (NIV)

10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his

resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like

him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the

resurrection from the dead.12 Not that I have already obtained

all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to

take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken

hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and

straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal

to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in

Christ Jesus.

15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of

things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God

will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have

already attained..

The goal, indeed, the mark we are all to pursue as did Paul is

spiritual maturity, being conformed to the character of the Lord

Jesus, but no matter how much we have attained that goal, there

will always be plenty of room and need for more growth and

change. No person has ever attained full maturity except the

Lord Jesus Himself!

So, what does this truth and fact mean—the fact that no man is

perfect or fully measures up all the time?

(1) It means there will always be room for improvement and

growth in the qualities mentioned in these passages. Being

“above reproach” is not a demand for perfection before

selection. If that were so, no man would ever be qualified.

(2) However, it teaches us that being above reproach in relation

to these qualities means that a man’s life-style is such that,

generally speaking, no one can legitimately accuse him of

conduct which is unbefitting a mature believer.

(3) It means that these qualities should exist in a man’s life to

such a degree that they stand out as prominent and consistent

characteristics. They are clearly distinguishable, but there will

be room for growth and times when he may fall short.

(4) It means that, because none of us is perfect, we should not

expect our leaders to walk on water. They all have feet of clay.

(5) However, being above reproach does mean we should look

for those men who are mature and examples of Christlikeness,

and we should expect them to continue to grow.

The Principle of Emergent Leadership

An important question is this. How do we go about selecting the

right men for the ministries of elders or deacons? This is an

important question because it involves motivating the flock to

understand and act on key biblical concepts which lead to the

flock’s ability to do two things: (a) select the right men, and (b)

respect and respond to the leadership and ministries of those

men who are chosen to serve as spiritual leaders of a

congregation.

Though Scripture gives clear guidelines concerning the spiritual

qualifications of elders and deacons and concerning the

functions of the elders, we find no clearly stated instruction for

the process of selecting elders or deacons.

(1) Acts 6:1-7 is often used as an example and does provide

us with some important insight, but those selected at that

time were never given an official title like deacon. Acts

6:1-7 New International Version (NIV)

6 In those days when the number of disciples was

increasing, the Hellenistic Jews[a] among them complained

against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being

overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve

gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be

right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in

order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven

men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit

and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4

and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the

word.”5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose

Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also

Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas

from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these

men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on

them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples

in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of

priests became obedient to the faith.

It was undoubtedly a temporary ministry but it still provides

us with a biblical example of selecting people for important

ministries through the guidance of the leadership, but also

through involving the congregation in the selection process

according to certain spiritual qualifications.

(2) Acts 14:23 is another passage dealing with the appointment

of elders. Acts 14:23 New International Version (NIV)

23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[a] for them in each

church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the

Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

Scholars are divided, however, down the middle on the precise

meaning of “appoint” (ceirotonew, “to vote by stretching out the

hand”). Some emphasize its literal meaning while others its

derived meaning. Being divided on the meaning, they are also

divided on the procedure used by Paul and Barnabas. But

probably, they used a procedure similar to that of Acts 6 which

involved the recognition of spiritually mature and growing men

through input and involvement of the congregation in the

process because it was the people who knew them and had seen

them in action (cf. Acts 16:1-3 where Paul seems to have chosen

Timothy based on the report of the people). Acts 16:1-3 New

International Version (NIV)

16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple

named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer

but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers at Lystra and

Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along

on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews

who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a

Greek.

In this regard, there is an important principle that we need to

keep in mind. Acts 20:28 clearly teaches that it is really God

who makes or appoints and qualifies men for ministry by

maturing them, by gifting them, and by giving them a burden for

such a ministry. Acts 20:28 New International Version (NIV)

28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the

Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the

church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood. In Acts

20:28, the word “made” in “made you overseers” is the Greek

tithemi, “to place, set.” But it often carries the idea of “appoint”

and is so translated six times in the NASB (cf. John 15:16; 1

Cor. 12:28; 1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 2:11; Heb. 1:2; 1 Pet. 2:8).

Since God is the one who appoints men to the ministry of elders

(and this would apply to deacons also), what exactly is the

responsibility of the church? What is it that the church does in

the selection process?

It is the responsibility of the church to recognize the emergence

of those men whom the Holy Spirit has prepared and appointed

by the qualities of their lives from the standpoint of (a) their

character, (b) their giftedness, and (c) their burden and concern

for the body of Christ.

Thus, while the local flock is asked to participate in the selection

process, its job is not so much to elect or select such men as it is

to confirm the Spirit’s work and thus His appointment and gift

of certain men to serve either as elders or deacons. How? By

recognizing God’s work in their lives through growth in Christ-

like qualities. These qualifications then simply demonstrate

God’s work and His appointment (cf. Acts 16:1-3).

What then is an emergent leadership?

It is a leadership that gradually emerges or develops like fruit

growing on a tree. Selecting an emergent leadership is

tremendously crucial. Listen to what Oswald Sanders says:

The Holy Spirit does not take control of any man or body of

men against their will. When He sees elected to positions of

leadership men who lack spiritual fitness to cooperate with

Him, He quietly withdraws and leaves them to implement their

own policy according to their own standards, but without His

aid. The inevitable issue is an unspiritual administration.

So according to the New Testament, leadership is to be an

emergent leadership, a leadership that emerges as a product of

God’s work within the flock of God’s people. As an emergent

leadership, men are not simply elected or appointed by men, but

recognized by the qualities of these passages in 1 Timothy 3 and

Titus 1. This is why evaluation according to the criteria of these

passages is so important. This is why finding men who meet the

qualifications is so much more important than selecting a certain

number to meet a quota even though that number of qualified

men are not ready or prepared by the Spirit of God.

The Principle of Balance

As I have sought to demonstrate in the summary of the

qualifications of elders and deacons that follows, you will note

that these qualities may also be seen from the standpoint of all of

a man’s fundamental relationships in life—to God, to His Word,

to self, family, others (including the outside world), and things.

Why do I call this to your attention? Because it is a way to stress

that these requirements, as marks of maturity, encompass every

area of a man’s life. A truly mature man is a well-rounded and

balanced man who has allowed Jesus Christ to invade, take

charge, and change every sphere of his life (cf. Col. 1:9f ; Josh.

3:13-14).

The point is simply this: Biblical Christianity knows nothing

about compartmentalized living. There are to be no areas of the

life where the Lord is not allowed to invade and take charge. In

other words, there are to be no spiritual “junk closets” or areas

we reserve for ourselves. We are to be His lock, stock, and

barrel.

The Principle of Two Sides of the Coin

As churches consider these passages and consider men in their

light, I believe it is tremendously important to recognize their

primary focus so that can become our focus as well. What then

is the focus?

(1) Christian character

(2) Spiritual maturity

(3) Well-rounded godliness.

The interesting point is that there is no direct, clearly-defined

reference to spiritual gifts in these verses. Indirectly we

undoubtedly find a reference to the gift of teaching in “able to

teach” in 1 Timothy 3:2, and since one of the gifts given to the

body of Christ is the gift of “leadership,” we probably have an

indirect reference to the gift of leadership in the analogy

between managing his family and the church in 1 Timothy 3:5.

1 Timothy 3:5 New International Version (NIV)

5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family,

how can he take care of God’s church?)

The word “manage” in verses 4-5 is proistemi, “ to lead, go

before.” It is used of the spiritual gift of “leading” in Romans

12:8, and of the responsibilities of elders in 1 Timothy 5:17 and

in 1 Thessalonians 5:12.

There is a principle here. Clearly such gifts are necessary to

some degree if an elder is going to be able to fulfill the functions

and responsibilities of an elder. Without these he would be

working in areas of his weaknesses rather than in areas of his

strengths as gifted by the Lord. Giftedness is important to every

believer’s ministry, and especially to the ministry of church

leaders. In other words, what God has called you to do, He has

gifted you to do, and what He has gifted you to do, He has called

you to do (1 Pet. 4:10). 1 Peter 4:10 New International Version

(NIV)

10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to

serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various

forms.

But the important point is this: The Apostle does not tell us to

look for men who have the gift of teaching or leading or

exhortation. Further, he does not tell us to look for men with

dynamic personalities, or who are regarded by people as great

pulpiteers or men of oratory, or for men who are successful

businessmen. God’s emphasis in this passage is not on

giftedness, or on dynamic personalities because such things in

themselves never qualify a man for leadership in the church. The

emphasis is on godly character. The body of Christ needs men

who are first and foremost men of God.

How far removed this is from our day and age and from,

unfortunately, the thinking of the average believer or church

goer. When most people think of a church leader, they think of

such things as pulpit ability, a dynamic and glowing personality,

or of someone who looks good in a blue suit and is a leader in

the community. We tend to focus on the outside and we give

little emphasis to spiritual character.

There needs to be balance. Ability, skill, and a man’s outward

impression are not unimportant nor are they completely

neglected in these verses, BUT THEY ARE NOT GIVEN OR

HIGHLIGHTED AS THE PRIMARY CONSIDERATION.

Instead, God is telling us in no uncertain terms that the key to a

man’s success in leading the church is not his skills, methods,

personality, nor even his gifts. Instead, the key is in his

emotional, mental, and spiritual maturity.

The ministry of Deacons in the local church is like a coin with

two sides and both must be included. But you know what we

do? We tend to ignore or depreciate one side or the other. Both

sides are important and neither should be neglected, but the side

of the coin God has turned up for us to see, the side needed the

most by the emphasis of these qualification passages, is the side

I am calling spiritual maturity for no matter how gifted a man is,

if he is spiritually immature, he will be a poor leader and the

church will be in trouble.

Hebrews 13:7 teaches us the same lesson. Hebrews 13:7 New

International Version (NIV)

7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.

Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their

faith.

The readers are told to remember those who had taught them the

word of God, but it was not their giftedness or skill in preaching

that they were told to consider or imitate. Instead, it was their

conduct and their faith.

The coin principle does not stop here. Giftedness is important,

and for truly qualified elders a number of gifts undoubtedly

come together to enable men to shepherd the flock of God—

gifts such as teaching, exhortation, showing mercy, leading, and

administration. In other words, there are (a) communication

skills and abilities, and (b) shepherding, leading skills and

abilities. We tend to over emphasize one to the exclusion of the

other, or we find a board of elders functioning primarily on

administrative matters rather than on other aspects of ministry.

On any board of elders, some will be more skilled and gifted in

one area and others in another. One of the needs of the board

and the flock is to allow men to work in their areas of giftedness

so that the men on the board are able to complement or integrate

their gifts together for the benefit of the church.

Since these qualities provide us with a target we should all aim

for, let me bring up another principle.

(1) They are goals and they provide us with a target, something

we should all set our sights on. Since all believers should grow

and mature in the Lord, these qualifications should be the goal

of every believer, not just elders and deacons. These are goals

we will all strive for if we mean business with Jesus Christ. In

essence this should be our aim because as these marks are

realized, we will also be accomplishing the other goals God has

for our lives Philippians 3:12-15 New International Version

(NIV)

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already

arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which

Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not

consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do:

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God

has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus

In a context concerned with having the right goals in ministry,

Paul warns Timothy about those men who wanted to be

teachers, but who had strayed from the goal of 1 Timothy 1:5-6

New International Version (NIV)

5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure

heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have

departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk.

In verse 6, the Greek word for “straying,” astocheo, means “to

fail to aim carefully, and thus to miss the mark.” They were

disqualified because they were aiming at the wrong goals.

(2) Next, these qualifications are marks of identification and

confirmation. They make the person who possesses these

qualities a marked person with the brand of Jesus Christ

emblazoned across their lives. Today, the church has lost its

distinctiveness because, far too often, you can’t tell believers

from unbelievers—and I am not talking about manner of dress.

Rather, I am referring to values, priorities, pursuits, and godly

character.

(3) Finally, as marks of identification and confirmation, they

also make the possessors of these qualities examples, patterns to

follow. They demonstrate the reality of Christ in our lives which

enables us to be influential in the right way.

Qualifications for Deacons

In General

Tested . . . beyond reproach (1 Tim. 3:10). Before a man is

asked to serve as a deacon, he is to be observed over a period of

time to see if he is qualified for that ministry. If he is found to be

beyond reproach (if there are no violations in the qualities

needed to serve), he may then be chosen to serve as a deacon.

This is a warning against hastily choosing men for ministry for

whatever reason (the pressure of needs, to fill a quota, etc.).

Time is needed so his qualifications can become clearly

apparent.

This principle also applies to the selection of elders (see 1 Tim.

5:22). 1 Timothy 5:22 New International Version (NIV)

22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share

in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

Because of context, some think 1 Timothy 5:22 deals with

church discipline, but the only record we have of the laying on

of hands in the New Testament and in early church history

(before the third century) is associated with the selection and

ordination of men for ministry (cf. Acts 6:6; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim.

1:6). Because of this, it is better to take this passage as a

warning against hasty selection and ordination of elders.

As to God and His Word

Holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience (1

Tim. 3:8). “The mystery of the faith” refers to the body of

Christian doctrine to which we hold (believe and live by)

through faith. “With a clear conscience” means he seeks to

honestly live by the truths of Scripture. He keeps short accounts

with God.

As to Self

(1) Men of dignity (1 Tim. 3:8). He is one who takes his life and

work seriously as a part of his devotion to the Lord. He has a

vision for his life’s purpose.

(2) Not double tongued (1 Tim. 3:8). He is not a hypocrite who

says one thing to one person and something contradictory to

another. He speaks the truth, is honest. He does not destroy his

credibility by words that are contradictory.

As to Things

(1) Not addicted to much wine (1 Tim. 3:8).

(2) Not fond of sordid gain (1 Tim. 3:8). As with an elder, he

must not use the office for personal gain, or be controlled by the

desire for material wealth. Wrong motives kill a man’s ability to

serve the Lord and love others. He cannot serve God and

mammon or self-seeking goals.

As to Family

(1) A husband of one wife (Literally, a one-woman man) (1

Tim. 3:12).

(2) Good managers of their children and their own households (1

Tim. 3:12).

There is one word which truly summarizes these qualifications.

It’s the word SERVANT. A deacon, as with an elder, is to be a

servant of God and a servant of men Mark 10:43-45 New

International Version (NIV)

43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great

among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be

first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not

come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom

for many.”

Conclusion

One of the designed results of these marks of maturity is that

such men become examples of the Christian life and of the

power of God that is available in the person and work of Jesus

Christ. The responsibility of the church is to select those men

who are models, examples for the flock to follow as we see in

Hebrews 13:7 and 1 Peter 5:3.

I once saw a bumper sticker that said, “Don’t follow me, I’m

lost too,” That’s the state of the world and, unfortunately, of

many well meaning Christians and leaders. They are like the

commercial pilot who told his passengers, “I have some good

news and some bad news. The bad news is we are lost, but the

good news is that we are making good time.”

Motion in itself never means direction just as activity in itself

never means effectiveness. We can be like the cowboy who

rushed into the corral, bridled and saddled his horse and rode off

in all directions. We need quality lives with quality motion

aimed in the right direction with specific, biblical objectives.

Effective ministry to others is often equated with dynamic

personalities, with talent, giftedness, with training, with

enthusiasm, and with charisma. But these things alone are

inadequate. Much, much more is needed.

Howard Hendricks, in his unique style, tells the story of a

student who came to him with a problem.

“Hey prof., I have a problem.” Hendricks, “Yea, What’s your

problem?” Student, “Why did the Lord choose Judas?”

Hendricks, “Ah, that’s no problem. I have a bigger problem than

that.” Student, “Yea, what’s that?” Hendricks, “Why did the

Lord choose you?” And I think he also added, “ Why did the

Lord choose me?”

His point was, look at the disciples. How would you like to

launch a world wide campaign with the likes of Peter and his

companions? Yet, with these common, average, uneducated

men, the Lord launched a campaign that has reached the world

and turned it upside down. Why? Because of their methodology?

No! Because of their dynamic personalities or programs? No!

Because these common men intimately knew the Lord and

began to experience His life and character in theirs by the Spirit

of God. He took common men and made them into great men

who became spiritual leaders because they were experiencing

Him. Our need? The selection of godly men!

If we must choose between giftedness and godliness, let us

choose godliness. If we can choose both, that’s great and that’s

the ideal, but let’s keep the emphasis where God puts it!

I.

INTRODUCTION IN THE DIOCONATE

Denominational Beliefs About Ordination

Most denominations believe ordination does not endow a

person with any special powers or authority. It is a means of

indicating to churches and to the world in general that a

person has been accredited as worthy to be a pastor or

deacon. In recent years, denominations have extended

ordination to include other persons in ministry, such as

chaplains, missionaries and church staff members.

Not all denominations agree that ordination is necessary or

even appropriate. However, ordination is practiced by most

churches and is considered valid for a lifetime. Thus, when a

person moves from one church to another as pastor or

deacon, there is no need to be re-ordained.

For most churches, ordination is a function of an individual

church, not of the denomination. Although other churches

or denominational entities may be asked to participate, a

church is the body that actually ordains.

In the case of pastors and deacons, ordination is usually

preceded by licensing the person to the gospel ministry or

“setting a person aside” to become a deacon. Licensing and

setting aside, ushers in a period when the church and the

individual can evaluate whether the person is indeed suitable

for pastoral ministry or servanthood. If the person testifies

to an internal calling by God through the Holy Spirit to the

gospel ministry or service, evidences the biblical

qualifications for the office and demonstrates the gifts

necessary for effective pastoral or deacon ministry, the

church proceeds with ordination.

By way of introduction, some things need to be said as a

foundation for our common understanding of this ordained

ministry in the Church. It is essential to understand that the

diaconate is first and foremost completely about service –

diakonia. We often hear that description, but we need to

understand it on a more profound level.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders has two degrees: diaconate, and

Eldership. The ordination of an Elder imparts a sacred character

and grants ministerial participation in the priesthood of Jesus

Christ, our Eternal High Priest.

The ordination of a deacon, on the other hand, is not an

ordination unto priesthood, but unto service. Many people most

closely identify the ministry of the deacon with his role in the

sacred liturgy or what we call devotion, but this is not his

essential identity and role. His service in the liturgy is only a

reflection of his true identity brought into the public worship of

the Church. His essential identity is as one who serves. That is

why there are special ministries that are particularly suited to the

deacon as servant. These include ministry and service to the

poor, to the imprisoned, to the sick and to those who are

abandoned and lonely, the modern day “widows and orphans.”

(Read Acts 6)

But questions naturally arise: Why does one need to be a deacon

to do these things? Should not all the disciples of Jesus Christ be

engaged in such apostolates of service? In other words, what is

“new” that is brought about by sacred ordination as a deacon?

What we must understand is “The Sacrament of Holy Orders

marks deacons ‘with an imprint (character) which cannot be

removed and which configures them to Christ, who made

himself the “deacon” or servant of all.’ For this level of Holy

Orders, Christ calls and the Church asks the Elders (Priest) to

ordain deacons to be consecrated witnesses to service.

Consecrated, witness, service – all three words are important in

this understanding. The permanent deacon is set aside and

consecrated in the midst of the Church as a witness to the

service of God and neighbor to which all the disciples of Jesus

Christ are called. By his ordination, the deacon is configured to

Christ, the Servant and Son of God, who came “not to be served

but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

This understanding serves as a constant reminder that Christian

discipleship for the ordained, laity and religious alike is not

about oneself. Ordination to the permanent diaconate is not

about achieving some special status or recognition in the

Church. The deacon is ordained to be a servant of Christ to his

people, and a humble aid to the ministry of Elder (Priest) and the

Bishops.

The call to diaconate ordination, though a personal one, is

authenticated by the Holy Spirit through the Pastor or bishop to

meet a specific “need and desire of the Christian community for

service in the local church and diocese. Just as the first deacons

were chosen and ordained by the Apostles to meet a specific

identified need of the early Christian community, so it is in the

Church today. Where a need has been identified that particularly

suits the ministry of a deacon, a man may be called forward and

ordained to minister to that need by the bishop, successor to the

Apostles.

The diaconal witness is lived in the midst of the world. The

permanent deacon is often said to have a “foot in both worlds”,

i.e. he is an ordained minister of the Church, but usually also has

secular employment and other responsibilities in the secular

order.

The deacon’s tasks include that of ‘promoting and sustaining the

apostolic activities of the laity.’ To the extent that he is more

present and more involved than the Elder (priest) in secular

environments and structures, he should feel encouraged to foster

closeness between the ordained ministry and lay activities, in

common service to the kingdom of God.

Finally, all that has been said about the permanent deacon as

servant in the image of Jesus Christ is reflected in the deacon’s

liturgical function at the altar, where he is often more visible.

His true service at the altar brings into the sacred liturgy a

powerful and important reminder to all of us that the Church has

an essential diaconal character and identity – to serve the world

in witness to the kingdom of God.

II.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PERMANENT DIACONATE

A foreshadowing of the office of deacon in the Church predates

the New Testament. In the Prayer of Ordination for deacons the

“sons of Levi” are recalled. Moses, instructed by God,

established an order of men, the Levites, who represented the

people in service to the priests and to minister in the former

tabernacle of the old covenant. (See especially the Book of

Numbers, chapters 1 and 8)

As referenced above, the institution of the Order of Deacons by

the Apostles arose from an early necessity of service in the

Church that was too demanding for the Apostles to manage

alone. The solution was to appoint seven men of good repute to

assist them in the daily ministry. Through prayer and the laying

on of hands, they entrusted to those chosen men the ministry of

serving at table. (See Acts 6:1-6). Paul describes the particular

qualifications needed for a man to be appointed to the office of

deacon (1 Timothy 3:8-13). We can ascertain from other texts of

the New Testament that deacons in the early Church preached

(Stephen and Philip) (Acts 7 and Acts 8:4-13), baptized

(Philip) 12 (Acts 8:36-38), and served the early Church

community (Acts 6:1-6). With the spread of the Faith in the

early Church, deacons began to have a liturgical function. (St.

Ignatius of Antioch joins episkopoi, presbyteroi and diakonoi to

the Eucharist, indicating a liturgical function.

Emphasized throughout the Gospels, the Greek word that

became the designation for the office of deacon, diakonia, was

grounded in Jesus Christ himself. Jesus offered himself in total

service to the Father:

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but

the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38)

“But I am among you as one who serves (diakonia)”16 (Luke

22:27)

In conformity to Jesus the Servant, an essential character of the

Church is to be servant of God and his people. The deacon is an

icon of this servanthood in the midst of the Church.

In the early second century, St. Ignatius of Antioch, in many

references to deacons, considered a Church without the Orders

of Elders (Priests) and Deacons unthinkable.

As the order of deacon became more prominent throughout the

early centuries of the Church, the deacon became the functional

arm of the local bishop. He assisted the bishop during the sacred

liturgy, exercised responsibility for the temporal affairs and

goods of the Church, and distributed alms to the poor. As the

bishop’s advisor, legal representative and confidant, he was

often the logical choice to succeed the bishop upon his death,

after receiving priestly and episcopal ordination.

By 400 A.D. abuses of power and conflict with the order of

priests, often over monetary compensation, are cited as factors

that contributed to the decline of the diaconate as a permanent

order within the Church. Social changes within the Church led

to the development of monasteries and religious orders that

assumed responsibility for charitable institutions, further

contributing to a reduction in the need for deacons who had

formerly ministered to these needs. Over the centuries that

followed, many factors contributed to a chain of events that, by

800 A.D., resulted in the diaconate being reduced to a

transitional step toward the priesthood in the Church. Since the

Order of Deacon had apostolic roots going back to the New

Testament, it could not simply be abolished in the Church. The

solution at the time was to make it a step toward the fuller Order

of the Priesthood. In the Churches of the East, the diaconate

remained a permanent ministry and order.

In Germany during the 1950’s, a proposal was stirring to restore

the diaconate as a permanent order within the Church. In the

1960’s, the fathers of the Second Vatican Council proposed to

the universal Church that the ministry of the deacon came from

the Apostles, and as such, should be restored as a permanent

order in the Church:

“It will be possible in the future to restore the diaconate as a

proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy.”

Assigned once again to the deacon were his traditional

ministries of administering baptism, ordinary minister of Holy

Communion, witnessing of marriages, bringing viaticum to the

dying, proclaiming the Sacred Scriptures, exhorting and

instructing the people, officiating at funeral rites, and being

dedicated to charitable works.

With regard to the Church’s missionary activity, it was believed

that catechists (bible study) and those governing remote

communities of faith would be strengthened for their apostolate

through the sacramental grace of diaconal ordination resulting in

a more fruitful ministry. This was in response to a concrete

reality in the life of the Church in certain developing countries

where many communities of faith were in remote areas that very

seldom had the opportunity to receive the ministry of Elders

(priests). Lay catechists took care of those communities and

helped foster the life of the Church there. It was thought that if

some of these lay catechists could be ordained as deacons, their

ministry would be enhanced and they also would be able to

celebrate certain of the sacraments in the absence of Elders

(priests) (baptisms and weddings) as well as preside at funeral

rites and serve as ordinary ministers of Holy Communion.

III.

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE PERMANENT

DIACONATE

New Testament Deacons serve the Lord by conducting the

caring ministry of the church — doing the benevolence work,

visiting the sick, being alert to the spiritual needs of the

congregation — for the purposes of freeing the pastoral staff to

focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word, promoting unity

within the church, and facilitating the spread of the gospel.

1. Deacons and Elders Are the Two Distinct Offices in a New

Testament Church “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus

Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with

the bishops and deacons” Philippians 1:1

There are two offices of the New Testament Church mentioned

together in Philippians 1:1 and in 1st Timothy 3 — bishops

(Elders) and deacons. In 1st Timothy 3 the qualifications are

spelled out for the two offices, bishops in verses 1-7, and

deacons in verse 8-13. The qualifications are similar, but not

identical. For example, the bishop is required to be “able to

teach” whereas the deacon does not have that expectation. The

differences in title and qualifications mean that the offices are

distinct.

The term “bishop” is translated overseer in some translations. It

is the word from which we get our word “episcopal.” Translated

from the original language, it means, “to look upon, inspect,

oversee, look after, care for” and refers to “the care of the

church which rested upon the elders.” The term “bishop” is used

interchangeably with “elder” and “shepherd” (i.e. pastor) in Acts

20 and 1st Peter 5.

One can see how the words in these passages (in bold for your

reference) are used in an interchangeable manner:

“From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the

church.... And when they had come to him, he said to them:

...take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the

Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of

God which He purchased with His own blood” Acts 20:17, 18,

28 NKJV

“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow

elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a

partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of

God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by

compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor

as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to

the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will

receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” 1st Peter

5:1-4 NKJV

It was the elders who were charged with the general oversight of

the church with the emphasis being on the spiritual building up

of the body of Christ:

“Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double

honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine” 1st

Timothy 5:17 NKJV

One gets the impression from this passage that there were those

elders whose duties were more administrative in nature and

those who had more of a teaching role, the latter being the most

emphasized.

The churches were commanded to be supportive of the elder’s

ministry and to accept leadership:

“Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they

watch out for your souls [a shepherding function], as those who

must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief,

for that would be unprofitable for you” Hebrews 13:17 NKJV

Therefore:

1. Deacons and Elders are the offices in the church. The offices

are distinct. Elders are not deacons. Deacons are not elders.

2. The terms, Elder, Pastor (shepherd), and Overseer (bishop)

are used synonymously in the New Testament but can be

explained as thus:

The Greek term, presbýteros, meaning "older" is used in the

New Testament. From its earliest days, the Christian church

followed the Jewish tradition of appointing spiritual authority in

the church to older, more mature men of wisdom. In the book of

Acts, the Apostle Paul established and the office and appointed

men (elders) in the early church, and in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and

Titus 1:6–9, the office of elder was instituted by ordination (The

Laying on of hands).

3. In the New Testament, elders had the role of the general

oversight of the church. One elder was usually recognized as a

Presiding Elder. In 1 Peter "the elders ... are a college entrusted

with the guidance of the church, that is, that they are office-

bearers."

Those who were ordained into the office of the Elder where

gifted with the gift of the Pastor or one of the fivefold Ministry

Gifts of Ephesians 4. Poimēn in Ephesians 4 is a Gifting not an

office. Pastor or poimainō means "to serve as a tender of sheep,

herd, tend, (lead to) pasture," then extended figuratively to mean

"to watch out for other people, to shepherd, of activity that

protects, rules, governs, fosters." In Greek the verb is used more

commonly to describe the function of the gift of the (Noun)

pastor (poimēn). The word "pastor" (Greek poimēn) occurs only

once as a noun that refers to one of the five gifting given by

Christ (Ephesians 4:11). The noun means "one who shepherds,"

and "one who serves as guardian or leader." It does not describe

the Office it describe the gifting needed to operate in the office.

4. "Serving as overseers" (NIV) "taking/exercising the

oversight" (KJV, NRSV), is the Greek verb episkopeō, from

which we get our word "Episcopal." The basic meaning is "to

give attention to, look at, take care of, see to it." Here it has a

figurative meaning, "to accept responsibility for the care of

someone, oversee, care for." In Paul's address to the Ephesian

elders at Miletus, it is used of church officers, "overseer or

supervisor" (Acts 20:28), used synonymously with elders in 1

Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:7; and the subscriptions to both 2 Timothy

and Titus. Elders are Overseers, one who has oversight or

supervises. Just like the office of the Elder, Overseer is an

Office. He is one who is a supervisor of Elders. It is very

important that we understand that an Overseer or supervisor is

not an owner. What an Overseer supervises is not his own. He is

a Steward over another man’s work. The Visionary, The

Presiding Elder or Bishop. The one who is “chief among us” is

the vison bearer. A half century later the word is used of those

who supervise presbyters, Elders and Overseers, ("Bishop"), as a

church hierarchy begins to emerge. But at the time 1 Peter was

written, the word isn't used in this later, specific sense. Beyer

observes:

"The evidence of the New Testament is clearly to the effect that

originally several episkopoi took charge of the communities in

brotherly comity. It is also plain that the point of the office was

service, and service alone."

The Deacon and the Sacramental Church

The Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation

(Ordination) and the Holy Eucharist (The Lords Supper) ground

the common vocation of all Christ’s disciples, a vocation to

holiness and to the mission of evangelizing the world. From

these the Holy Spirit calls through the Church some men or

women to ordained service. Though the Catechism of the

Church differentiates two degrees of ministerial participation in

the priesthood of Christ (the presbyterate (Elders) and the

episcopacy (Bishops) and the diaconate is not among them, yet

both orders are conferred by sacramental ordination that is by

the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The diaconate is intended to

serve the other two orders.

Repeated here is what was cited above in the preface:

“The Sacrament of Holy Orders marks deacons ‘with an imprint

(character) which cannot be removed and which configures them

to Christ, who made himself the “deacon” or servant of all.’ For

this level of Holy Orders, Christ calls and the Church asks the

bishop to ordain deacons to be consecrated witnesses to

service.”

Ordination to the diaconate confers an outpouring of the Holy

Spirit configuring the deacon to Christ’s consecration and

mission. The deacon is therefore “a cleric who is ordained to

diakonia, namely a service to God’s People in communion with

the bishop and the body of priests (Elders).”

The Deacon and the Word: Evangelizer and Teacher

Because the deacon sacramentalizes service, by virtue of

ordination he will proclaim the Gospel and preach in such a way

that he first witnesses its empowerment in his own life. By his

own faithful practice of the spiritual and corporal works of

mercy, the permanent deacon “by word and example…should

work so that all the faithful, in imitation of Christ, may place

themselves at the constant service of their brothers and sisters.”

The Deacon and the Liturgy of the Altar

The diaconal ministry of charity cannot be separated from the

sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and Christ’s mandate on essential care

for the poor is linked to the Eucharistic sacrifice (The Lords

Supper). All ministries in the Church, including that of the

permanent deacon, are incomplete without the Holy Eucharist

and in fact draw their life from the same Eucharistic mystery.

“For the Church gathered at worship, moreover, the ministry of

the deacon is a visible, grace-filled sign of the integral

connection between sharing at the Lord’s Eucharistic table and

serving the many human hungers felt so keenly by all God’s

children. In the deacon’s liturgical ministry, as in a mirror, the

Church sees a reflection of her own diaconal character and is

reminded of her mission to serve as Jesus did.”

This sign of the deacon’s liturgical ministry is especially

manifest when he is assisting the bishop in the celebration of the

Eucharistic ministry. The heart of diaconal ministry is the

inseparable link between the deacon’s liturgical service at the

altar and his service to the poor in the community. “In his formal

liturgical roles, the deacon brings the poor to the Church and the

Church to the poor.”

The Deacon in the World of Work

Because he stands with a foot in two worlds, the permanent

deacon’s ministry and witness is distinctively in the world of

work and society. Therefore, the theological principles of social

doctrine developed over time by the Church must be formative

for an effective diaconate. Human work, especially that of the

permanent deacon, is to be imbued with “a spiritual and moral

character that gives work its genuine value and workers their

specific dignity.” Too often the transforming Christian message

in the area of human labor is obscured and the deformities of

society distort the divine image in men and women. The deacon

is to witness in his own life and labor the truth of the dignity of

the human person and human work.

The Deacon and Charitable Work

Of his threefold ministries of the Word, the liturgy and charity,

the deacon’s distinctive call is to charity. “In a world hungry and

thirsty for convincing signs of the compassion and liberating

love of God, the deacon sacramentalizes the mission of the

Church in his words and deeds, responding to the Master’s

command of service and providing real-life examples of how to

carry it out.”

IV.

TOWARD A DIACONAL SPIRITUALITY

The primary sources of a deacon’s spirituality are his

participation in the sacraments of Christian initiation, as well as

his sacramental identity and participation in ordained ministry.

For a deacon who is married, his spirituality is nurtured further

in the Sacrament of Matrimony, which sanctifies conjugal love

and constitutes it as a sign of the love with which Christ gives

himself to the Church. For the celibate deacon, loving God and

serving his neighbor roots his whole person in total and

undivided consecration to Christ. For each deacon, his model

par excellence is Jesus Christ, the Servant, who lived totally in

service of his Father, for the good of every person. To live their

ministry to the fullest, ‘deacons must know Christ intimately so

that He may shoulder the burdens of their ministry.”

“Deacons are obliged to give priority to the spiritual life and to

live their diakonia with generosity. They should integrate their

family obligations, professional life, and ministerial

responsibilities so as to grow in their commitment to the person

and mission of Christ, the Servant. Clerics have a special

obligation to seek holiness in their lives ‘because they are

consecrated to God by a new title in the reception of orders as

dispensers of God’s mysteries in the service of His people.”

“Every single baptized believer, by virtue of being a Christian,

by virtue of being baptized, is called to the fullness of holiness.”

The primary foundational principle of the call to diaconal

ministry begins with this call to holiness. A man who presumes

to hear a call from God to the diaconate must answer first to

God’s call to personal holiness. Has the prospective permanent

deacon set as his life’s goal steady growth in the Holy Spirit

toward oneness with God in Christ Jesus and His Church? If

married, does his wife share with him this heart’s desire? These

are the first and most important questions that will frame all

further steps toward acceptance in diaconal formation, and to

final ordination to the Order of Deacon. The discernment

process begins and ends with the evidence of the growth in

holiness in a man’s (and his wife’s) life.

The permanent deacon will “re-propose wholeheartedly to

everyone this high standard of Christian living.” He will

courageously help those in his community, together with the

pastor and the staff of his dioceses, to rediscover, reawaken, and

appropriate the call to holiness. With this goal held before him,

the deacon will center his efforts to fulfill what the blessed

church of God desired, that the “Church of the new millennium

becomes a training place for holiness and a school for prayer.”

Central to this rule of growth in holiness is the permanent

deacon’s adherence to the Divine Office of the Church (the

Liturgy of Prayer). Upon acceptance into the diaconal formation,

the Laity, and later the permanent deacon, is required to pray. In

essence, the deacon should pray as much as possible, depending

on the circumstances of his life. Especially recommended to the

permanent deacon is the Office of Readings, which is a constant

immersion in the Sacred Scriptures and the spiritual and

theological writings of great authors of the Church, which will

constitute part of his ongoing education and formation.

The requirement of diaconal candidates to pray the Liturgy as

outlined above becomes a grave obligation he accepts through

the promise he makes to the bishop on the day of his ordination.

It is further recommended, when possible, as a profound aid

toward a permanent deacon’s and his wife’s spiritual unity, that

the deacon and his wife pray together.

The permanent deacon’s family in the heart of the church will

model what a Christian family is, as outlined above. Only God’s

help through family prayer, undertaken steadily and daily, can

support such a difficult task in a culture that is corrosive to

Christian family values. The permanent diaconate formation and

the deacon community will enlist its prayer and energy to work

with the deacon’s family to clear hurdles to a true Christian

family life, but the prospective deacon and his wife must realize,

from the outset, how entrance into the Order of Deacon will lay

a holy expectation of spiritual growth on the whole family.

Inherent to the call to holiness and the spirituality of the

permanent deacon, it must be kept in mind that the charitable

and service ministry done by the deacon flows supernaturally

from his sacramental identity as one who is configured to Christ

the Servant.

THE ROLE OF THE PERMANENT DEACON’S SPOUSE

AND FAMILY

“The majority of permanent deacons in the United States are

married. These men bring to the Sacrament of Holy Orders the

gifts already received and still being nurtured through their

participation in the Sacrament of Matrimony. This latter

sacrament sanctifies the love of husbands and wives, making

that love an efficacious sign of the love of Christ for the Church.

Marriage requires an ‘interpersonal giving of self, a mutual

fidelity, a source of [and openness to] new life, [and] a support

in times of joy and sorrow.’ Lived in faith, this ministry within

the domestic Church is a sign to the entire Church of the love of

Christ. It forms the basis of the married deacon’s unique gift

within the Church.”

“A married deacon, with his wife and family, gives witness to

the sanctity of marriage. The more they grow in mutual love,

conforming their lives to the Church’s teaching on marriage and

sexuality, the more they give to the Christian community a

model of Christ-like love, compassion and self-sacrifice.”

In the aftermath of the sexual revolution and no-fault divorce,

when discord and confusion reign in many Church families, it is

to reaffirm the sublime truth of marriage that the deacon, his

wife, and his family must exemplify the eternal principles that

are the foundation of the marital covenant. These eternal

principles include the affirmation that marriage is a permanent

covenant between one man and one woman for the whole of life,

rooted in fidelity to one another and always with openness to the

procreation and education of children.

“The married deacon must always remember that through his

sacramental participation in both vocational sacraments, first in

Matrimony and again in Holy Orders, he is challenged to be

faithful to both. With integrity, he must live out both sacraments

in harmony and balance. The wife of a deacon should be

included with her husband, when appropriate, in diocesan clergy

and parochial staff gatherings. A deacon and his wife, both as a

spiritual man and woman and as a couple, have much to share

with the bishop and his priests about the Sacrament of

Matrimony. A diaconal family also brings a unique presence and

understanding of the domestic family. ‘By facing in a spirit of

faith the challenges of married life and the demands of daily

living, [the married deacon and his family] strengthen the family

life not only of the Church community but of the whole of

society’.”

The family is the primary community accompanying a diaconal

candidate on the formative journey. For married candidates, the

communion of life and love, established by the marriage

covenant and consecrated by the Sacrament of Matrimony,

offers a singular contribution to the [diaconal] formation

process. The single candidate’s family also contributes to his

formation; those responsible for implementing the formation

process should consult with the candidate to ascertain the

strength of his support from his family and friends to ensure that

his vocation is also encouraged and fostered.”

VI.

PARTICULAR ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE

Recognition of permanent deacons as clergy and the

relationship with the pastor.

Through the reception of the Sacrament of Holy Orders at the

hands of the Bishop, a permanent deacon becomes a cleric (a

member of the clergy) and is incardinated into the Leadership of

the Church. He is no longer a member of the laity of the Church,

and so the often heard reference to him as a “lay deacon” does

not apply.

As a cleric, the permanent deacon enjoys all the rights afforded

him in the Churh By-Law and is also subject to all of the

obligations required of him under the same law.

Also, “through the imposition of hands and the prayer of

consecration [in the Rite of Ordination], [the deacon] is

constituted a sacred minister and a member of the hierarchy.

This condition determines his theological and juridical status in

the Church.”

In this light it is important to recognize the permanent deacon’s

new status in the Church as a result of his ordination. Although

recognizing that his primary ministry as a deacon is to be one

who serves in the image of Christ the Servant, due respect

should be afforded him as a sacred minister of the Church.

The permanent deacon has a special relationship with the bishop

and the elders of the diocese. “[Deacons], sustained by the grace

of the Sacrament [of Holy Orders] in the ministry of the liturgy,

of the word and of charity, are at the service of the People of

God, in communion with the Bishop and his Elders. The

diaconate is intended to help and serve the orders of the

episcopacy and priesthood. “The principal function of the

deacon, therefore, is to collaborate with the bishop and the

elders in the exercise of a ministry which is not of their own

wisdom, but of the word of God, calling all to conversion and

holiness.”

Particular attention must be paid to the relationship between the

permanent deacon and his pastor, especially when he is assigned

to parochial ministry or has faculties to be exercised in a

particular Dioceses or mission. The pastor and all elders serving

in the church or mission must recognize the deacon as a

collaborator in ministry and as one who shares with them in the

Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Even though the permanent deacon is there to help and serve the

pastor, his dignity as a brother in Christ and as a sacred minister

of the Church must be respected. The deacon, for his part, must

remember that the pastor is the one whom he helps and serves

under the authority of the bishop. Mutual respect and charity

should govern this relationship.

To be avoided at all cost is any sense of rivalry or competition

between elders and deacons. All must remember that they are

there to serve Christ and the Church. A sense of selfless service

to Christ and the People of God should animate the ministry of

bishops, elders and deacons. The permanent deacon must

remember that the pastor possesses the ultimate authority in the

church or mission, always under the authority of the diocesan

bishop.

When a pastor has a permanent deacon serving in the church or

mission entrusted to his care, he should show particular

solicitude toward the deacon and assist him in the development

of his diaconal life and ministry. The pastor should mentor the

deacon, guiding him and teaching him how to be the best

minister of Christ that he can be, seeking to realize his full

potential. The deacon should be humble and open to the

direction and guidance of his pastor.

Regular and open communication should exist between a pastor

and the permanent deacon. This will help build a strong

relationship as the pastor and deacon collaborate in ministry for

the good of the people entrusted to their care.

The permanent deacon’s pastoral assignment

In the Introduction to this teaching, it was pointed out that, in the

Acts of the Apostles, the first deacons were called forth and

ordained to meet a specific need in the early Church. This will

also should be the case as we move forward with the formation

of a Deacon for the permanent diaconate in the local church and

Diocese. A man will not be ordained to simply “be the deacon”

at a particular church or mission. There must be a specifically

identified need in the community, authenticated by the Bishop in

consultation with the local pastor, for which a man will be called

forth to minister as a permanent deacon. In other words, the

deacon will need to have a particular service ministry or

diakonia for which he will be ordained. This new direction will

be reflective of the fact that the deacon’s primary ministry is not

in the sanctuary but in the service of charity.

This should be reflected in the letter of assignment once a man

is ordained to the permanent diaconate. The assignment letter

may read that the deacon is assigned to a particular church or

mission to minister in a particular area of need (e.g. to the poor

of the community, to the sick, to the elderly, to the imprisoned,

to the youth, as a catechist, etc…). The deacon could also be

assigned to some broader diocesan or regional ministry with

diaconal faculties in a particular church or mission.

This does not mean that the permanent deacon could never

engage in some other area of ministry as his diaconal ministry

matures. It does mean that he must always have some particular

focus of his diaconal ministry on specific needs in the

community.

Permanent deacons are not ordained for any particular church,

even their own. They are ordained for service to the Church, a

service exercised in the Diocese under the authority of the

Bishop. Deacons must therefore be prepared for the fact that

their assignment could change as the needs of another church or

the diocese arises.

The permanent deacon and preaching

Preaching, taken in its strictly liturgical sense, involves much

more than simply the sermon at church. The permanent deacon

has the opportunity to preach in various liturgical and ecclesial

contexts. These include, but are not limited to: wake services,

the funeral liturgy outside of church, baptisms, wedding

celebrations outside of church, liturgies of the Word outside of

church, Sunday celebrations in the absence of a pastor or elders,

and other prayer and liturgical services.

As regards the preaching of the sermon at church, one must

begin with a basic principle. The liturgical norms presume that

the one who presides at a liturgical service, or who is the

principal celebrant at church, is also to give the sermon. This

should be the ordinary practice.

“When the deacon presides at a liturgical celebration, in

accordance with the relevant norms, he shall give due

importance to the sermon.

The sermon [at church] should ordinarily be given by the Pastor

the celebrant himself…

Now it is true that the permanent deacon may give the sermon at

church, but a closer look at the liturgical norms is necessary to

understand the circumstances under which this would be the

case:

The sermon should ordinarily be given by the celebrant himself.

He may entrust it to a concelebrant or occasionally, according to

circumstances, to the deacon.

The key words and phrases here are “occasionally” and

“according to circumstances.

The sum effect of the two phrases taken together is this: From

time to time, if common sense suggests that it is a good idea in

this particular concrete instance, the deacon may be entrusted

with the sermon by the celebrant. The other effect of these two

phrases taken together is to rule out the notion of the deacon

preaching the sermon at church on a routine or scheduled basis.

He may preach the sermon at church for some identifiable

advantage for the faithful in the congregation, but not on a

regular basis.

In this context, it should be noted that it is the primary

obligation of the celebrant, especially the pastor, to ensure that

the Word of God is proclaimed in its entirety to those living in

the community. It is his special obligation, therefore, to

regularly preach the sermon at church. On the day of his

ordination, the Elder makes this solemn promise to preach the

Gospel. The permanent deacon is ordained to assist the bishop

and elders in the role of teaching the faith, but the primary

responsibility for this in the church setting rests with the pastor.

It should also be noted that the Pastor has the authority to restrict

or remove the faculty to preach, but not to expand it beyond that

which is envisioned, and the liturgical norms.

In conclusion, then, two norms for permanent deacons preaching

the sermons at church are to be observed:

1. The permanent deacon may be entrusted with the message or

homily in the service on certain occasions, in other words from

time to time, as circumstances suggest. This should not occur,

however, on a routine or regularly scheduled basis

2. It is for the celebrant of the church to make the determination

as to when the permanent deacon may be entrusted with the

sermon. This determination should be made under the direction

of the pastor of the church where the sermon is delivered.

The pastor and the permanent deacon assigned to the church

should have a discussion and come to an understanding as to

when it is opportune that the permanent deacon be entrusted

with the sermon at church.

The permanent deacon should pay careful attention to the other

opportunities he has to preach at liturgical services and in the

course of his daily living in witness to Christ and the teachings

of the Church.

HOLY ORDERS (ORDINATION): ELDERS (BISHOP), &

(DEACONS).

Let me begin by saying that Holy Orders or Ordination, is not

just for the Catholic Church but for the catholic Church at large.

The Church adopted the term order from its use in the Roman

Empire, where it referred to a governing group. In the Sacrament

of Holy Orders, there are two degrees or "orders": Elders, and

Deacon “ Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all

the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops

and deacons.” Philippians 1:1

The rite of ordination is the sacramental act that makes this

possible. Ordination "confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that

permits the exercise of a 'sacred power' . . . which can come only

from Christ himself through the Church".

The first priest figure to appear in the Old Testament is

Melchizedek, who offered a sacrifice of bread and wine on

behalf of the patriarch Abraham (Gn 14:18-20). He symbolized

the permanence of priesthood: "Like Melchizedek you are a

priest forever" (Ps 110:4). God also chose Aaron and his sons to

be priests (Ex 28:1ff.) and designated the tribe of Levi for

liturgical service. They acted on behalf of the people and offered

gifts and sacrifices for sins. They proclaimed God's Word and

led people to communion with him through sacrifices and

prayers.

or definitive sanctification for the people. Only the sacrifice of

Jesus Christ could bring this about. The priesthood of

Melchizedek, Aaron, and the Levites prefigured the priesthood

of Christ, as is seen in consecration prayers for the ordination of

Elders, and deacons.

The priesthood of the Old Testament found its perfect

fulfillment in the priesthood of Jesus Christ, who is the one

mediator between God and us. Jesus' sacrifice of himself on the

Cross was a priestly act of perfect self-offering accepted by the

Father and culminating in his Resurrection from the dead so

that, as Risen Lord and High Priest, he continues to offer

salvation to all.

By Baptism, all the members of the Church share in Christ's

holy priesthood. It is called "the common priesthood of the

faithful" because the entire Church shares in it 1 Peter 2:5. To

build up this priesthood, Christ gives to his Church the ordained

ministries of Elders and deacons through the Sacrament of Holy

Orders or Ordination. Only the ordained Elders may be ministers

of Confirmation (or Chrismation), the ordaining of deacons, and

elders". The ministerial priesthood differs in essence from the

common priesthood of the faithful because it confers a sacred

power for the service of the faithful. The ordained ministers

exercise their service for the People of God by teaching (munus

docendi), divine worship (munus liturgicum) and pastoral

governance (munus regendi)". Deacons in the Latin Church can

baptize and witness the Sacrament of Marriage, as do elders.

The ordained Elder serve the Church in the person of Christ as

head of the Body. "Through the ordained ministry, especially

that of Bishops and Elders, the presence of Christ as head of the

Church is made visible and the Deacons reveal Jesus as our

Chief Servant or “The Servant of All”, in the midst of the

community of believers".

The Sacrament or ministry does not preserve the ordained from

weakness and sin, but the Holy Spirit guarantees that the

minister's sin does not impede the effectiveness of the

Sacrament and its graces. The ordained are called to a holiness

of life and an attitude of humility that conforms them to Christ

whose priesthood they share. The Elders acts not only in the

person of Christ, the Head of the Church, but also in the name of

the Church when presenting to God the prayer of the Church,

especially in the Eucharist.

Deacons receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders from a Elder and

are ordained not to the ministerial priesthood but to the ministry

of service. Through ordination the deacon is conformed to

Christ, who came to serve, not to be served. In the Latin Church,

deacons may baptize, proclaim the Gospel, preach the homily,

assist the bishop or elders in -the celebration of the Lords

Supper, assist at and bless marriages, and preside at funerals.

They dedicate themselves to charitable endeavors, which was

their ministerial role in New Testament times. Whether they are

involved in the Church's liturgical or pastoral life or in her social

and charitable endeavors, deacons are "strengthened by the

imposition of hands that has come down from the apostles. They

would be more closely bound to the altar and their ministry

would be made more fruitful through the sacramental grace of

the diaconate".

The only valid minister of ordination is an ordained Elder. Now

ascended to the Father, Christ continues to guide the Church

through the bishops & Elders, who confer this Sacrament of

apostolic ministry and hand on the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This Sacrament configures the bishop and elder to Christ as the

Head of the Church in Christ's three office of priest, prophet,

and king. This Sacrament configures the deacon to Christ as

servant.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders, like that of Baptism and

Confirmation, confers an indelible or permanent character on the

recipient. This means that this Sacrament of ordination cannot

be received again. You are only ordained once. The indelible

character is a reminder to the bishop, elder, or deacon that the

vocation and mission he received on the day of his ordination

marks him permanently. Like Baptism and Confirmation, which

also confer a permanent character, Holy Orders is never

repeated.

A bishop is given the grace to teach in the name of Christ; to

sanctify the Church through the celebration of the Sacraments;

to guide, govern, and defend the Church; and to be a sign of the

unity of the Church.

A priest is given the grace to proclaim the Gospel and preach, to

celebrate the Sacraments and to shepherd the people entrusted to

him.

A deacon in the Church is ordained to proclaim the Gospel and

preach, to baptize, to assist the bishop or elders in the

celebration of the Eucharist, to assist at and bless marriages, to

preside at funerals, and to serve the community through works

of charity.

EPISCOPAL CONCLUSION & STATEMENTS

- Through Baptism all the members of the Church share in the

priesthood of Christ. This is known as the "common priesthood

of the faithful."

- Through Holy Orders there is another participation in Christ's

priesthood, the ministerial priesthood of bishop and elders. This

differs in essence from the common priesthood because it

confers a sacred power for the service of the faithful.

- The ordained ministry occurs in two degrees or orders: elders,

and deacon. These ministries are essential for the life of the

Church.

- Bishops receive the fullness of the Sacrament or ministry of

Holy Orders. They are the chief teachers, sanctifiers, and

shepherds in their dioceses.

- "Elders are united with the bishops in priestly dignity and at

the same time depend on them in the exercise of their pastoral

functions; they are called to be the bishops' prudent co-workers".

With the bishop, elders form a presbyteral (priestly) community

and assume with him the pastoral mission for a particular

church.

- Deacons receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders, but not the

ministerial priesthood. Through ordination, the deacon is

conformed to Christ, who came to serve, not to be served.

Deacons in the Latin Church may baptize, read the Gospel,

preach the homily, assist the bishop or priest in the celebration

of the Eucharist, assist at and bless marriages, and preside at

funerals. They dedicate themselves to charitable endeavors,

which was their ministerial role in New Testament times.

- "The essential rite of the Sacrament of Holy Orders for both

degrees consists in the elders imposition of hands on the head of

the ordained [man or woman to be ordained] and in the elders

specific consecratory prayer". Ordination confers a permanent

sacramental character.

- Men or Women may be ordained.

- Only three bishops may confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders

to another bishop.

- One bishop or elder may confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders

to another elder or deacon.

………………………Nothing Added………………………….

DEACONS ASSIGNMENTS

DEACONS VOCABULARY

Define the following:

Week 1

Episcopal

Apostolic

Bishop

Presbytery

Catholic

Catholic

Alms

Armorbearer

Overseer

Catechism

Celebrant

Liturgy

Clergy

Week 2

Cathedral

Church

Apostolic Fathers

Church Fathers

Consecration

Convocation

Communion

Ecumenical

Eucharist

Ecclesia

Week 3

Magisterium

Mission

Ordain

Protocols

Denomination

Protestants

Deacon-Elect

Deacon-Designee

Concelebrant

Deacon

Elder

Laity

Week 4

Moderator

Officiant

Presiding Bishop

Superintendent

The Reverend

The Right Reverend

Most Reverend

Reformation

Reverend Doctor

Clothing & Vestments

The term vestments is from the Latin vestis or garment. Today’s

vestments have their origins in the ordinary clothes of the later Greco-

Roman world. Between the sixth and ninth century, secular fashion

began to reflect the occupation of person, it was possible to tell what one

did by what he or she wore. The Church reflected this change by not

changing the style of their garments.

Alb

Cassock

Chimere

Cincture

Clerical Collar

Civic Attire

Zucchetto

Celebration Vestments

Rochet

Stole

Surplice

Tippet

-------------------------------WEEK 1------------------------------------

The biblical historical foundation of the permanent deacon

1. Because leadership is always so determinative on the well being

and spiritual growth of the body of Christ, one of the first things

the Apostle Paul saw to was the appointment of

2. A good C.E.O.

3. Deacons & Deaconess

4. Elders & Deacons

5. None of the above.

2. The restoration of the diaconate as a permanent ministry in the

Church at large following the decline and egregious changes in there

ministry is seen as

1. The Church at its worst.

2. “a great and visible sign of the working of the Holy Spirit.”

3. No unity in the Church.

4. All of the above.

3. There is no doubt that the restoration of the permanent diaconate

has been a source

1. of great disappointment.

2. of arguments and discourse.

3. of tremendous grace and blessings for the Church.

4. All of the above.

4.How long has the Church had Permanent Deacons?

1. Since the Days of the Apostles

2. Since the Days of Joshua

3. Since the time of the Apostles to the Apostolic Fathers

4. Since the time of the Apostolic Fathers

5.Elders and deacons assist Pastors and Bishops, in every church

as under-shepherds of God’s people. What does this mean?

1. That elders and deacon actually Pastor the church

2. That elders and deacons don’t have to follow the vision of

the senior Pastor.

3. That elders and deacons work under and assist the senior

shepherds and Bishops in the Lord Church.

4. None of the above.

6.Two key New Testament passages (1 Tim. 3:1-13 and Tit. 1:5-

9) provide us with the essential qualifications that such men

must demonstrate in order to be qualified to serve the local

church. What are they?

7.What does it mean when we say that the Nature of the

qualifications are moral qualities or qualities of high moral

character?

8.If primarily the qualifications are marks of maturity, why then

does the bible warns against choosing a “new convert” in 1

Timothy 3:6 King James Version (KJV)?

True or False

9.The office of the Overseer and the Deacon are the same?_____

10.The episcopal premise for aspiring for the office of overseer

is the same for overseers and deacon out of the word of

God._____

11.Both Overseers and Deacons serve at the request of their

episcopal leaders._____

12.In plain and simple terms becoming a overseer or deacon

involves a form of greed, an aspiration for titles, a drive, and a

target to shoot at._____

13.“Aspire” is a very strong word. In the Greek text, it’s the

middle voice of orego which means “to stretch yourself out, to

personally reach out for,” and so it came to mean “to aspire.” In

plain and simple terms, it refers to ambition, to that which drives

or motivates a person._____

14.What is the warning the prophet Jeremiah he gave to Baruch

in Jeremiah 45:5 that aspiring deacons must follow:

1. “Are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek

them.”

2. “Are you seeking out a wife for yourself? Do not seek

one.”

3. Are you seeking out a title for yourself? Do not seek them/”

4. All of the above.

15.What is biblical ambition?

It is an ambition that has at its center the three important Es

which define the purpose of the church: What are the 3 Es?

16.In 3 paragraphs explain what Paul was sharing in

1Thessalonians 2 verses 1-20.

True or False

17.Elders are not Oversees._______

18.Acts 20 clearly shows that the words elder and overseer refer

to the same office.______

19.The term Overseer, stresses the dignity and position of this

ministry in the church._____

20.Elder stresses the function and work of an Overseer._____

21.In 1 Tim. 3:1, Paul carefully chose to use episkope, which

means the “office or charge of oversight.”_____

22.Episkope mean “office”_____

23.God is looking for men who are aspiring for position._____

24.The church needs men who want to serve the body for the

glory of God and the blessing of others._____

25.The word “work” in 1 Timothy 3:1, emphasis is clearly not

on aspiring to a position or a place of prestige, but on the

function and work of overseeing_____

26.In your own words explain what Oswald Sanders, in his

classic book on leadership entitled Spiritual Leadership, meant

when he said…

27.“The true spiritual leader is concerned infinitely more with

the service he can render God and his fellowmen than with the

benefits and pleasures he can extract from life. He aims to put

more into life than he takes out of it.”

True or Fales

28.One of the most fundamental principles of Scripture is that

we all fall short of God’s glory and perfection._____

29.Maturity and Christlikeness should be the goal or target of

every believer._____

30.Explain in one paragraph Colossians 1:28

Colossians 1:28 New International Version (NIV)

28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching

everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone

fully mature in Christ., still, no matter how mature or how

godly one becomes, none of us even comes close to perfection.

True or False

31.The goal, and the mark we are all to pursue as did Paul is

spiritual immaturity._____

32.No person has ever attained full maturity _____

33.So, what does this truth and fact mean—the fact that no man

is perfect or fully measures up all the time?

1. It means there will always be room for improvement and

growth in the qualities mentioned in these passages. Being

“above reproach” is not a demand for perfection before

selection. If that were so, no man would ever be qualified.

2. It means that, because none of us is perfect, we should not

expect our leaders to walk on water. They all have feet of

clay.

3. It means that these qualities should exist in a man’s life to

such a degree that they stand out as prominent and

consistent characteristics. They are clearly distinguishable,

but there will be room for growth and times when he may

fall short.

4. All of the above.

True or False

34.Being above reproach does mean we should look for those

men who are mature and examples of Christlikeness, and we

should expect them to continue to grow._____

35.The Principle of Emergent Leadership is an important

question concept because it involves motivating the flock to

understand and act on key biblical concepts which lead to the

flock’s ability to do two things: (a) select the right men, and (b)

respect and respond to the leadership and ministries of those

men who are chosen to serve as spiritual leaders of a

congregation._____

36.Though Scripture gives clear guidelines concerning the

spiritual qualifications of elders and deacons and concerning the

functions of the elders, we find no clearly stated instruction for

the process of selecting elders or deacons._____

37.Acts 6:1-7 is often used as an example and does provide us

with some important insight, those selected at that time were

given an official title like deacon._____

-------------------------------WEEK 2-----------------------------------

38.Acts 6:1-7 was undoubtedly a temporary ministry but it still

provides us with a biblical example of selecting people for

important ministries through the guidance of the leadership, but

also through involving the congregation in the selection process

according to certain spiritual qualifications._____

39.Acts 20:28 clearly teaches that it is really Man who makes or

appoints and qualifies men for ministry by maturing them, by

gifting them, and by giving them a burden for such a

ministry._____

40.It is the responsibility of the church to recognize the

emergence of those men whom the Holy Spirit has prepared and

appointed by the qualities of their lives from the standpoint of

1. Their character,

2. Their giftedness,

3. Their burden and concern for the body of Christ.

4. All of the above.

41.When Oswald Sanders says:

“The Holy Spirit does not take control of any man or body of

men against their will. When He sees elected to positions of

leadership men who lack spiritual fitness to cooperate with Him,

He quietly withdraws and leaves them to implement their own

policy according to their own standards, but without His aid.

The inevitable issue is an unspiritual administration.” What did

he mean?

True or False

42.According to the New Testament, leadership is to be an

emergent leadership, a leadership that emerges as a product of

Man’s work within the flock of God’s people._____

43.As an emergent leadership, men are not simply elected or

appointed by men, but recognized by the qualities of these

passages in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1._____

44.A truly mature man is a well-rounded and balanced man who

has allowed Jesus Christ to invade, take charge, and change

every sphere of his life._____

45.What is Christian character?

46.What is Spiritual maturity?

47.What is Well-rounded godliness?

48.In 1 Timothy 3:5 New International Version (NIV) it says:

5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family,

how can he take care of God’s church?) What does this mean?

True or False

49.Gifts are necessary to some degree if an elder is going to be

able to fulfill the functions and responsibilities of an elder.

Without these he would be working in areas of his weaknesses

rather than in areas of his strengths as gifted by the Lord._____

50.Giftedness is important to every believer’s ministry, and

especially to the ministry of church leaders. In other words, what

God has called you to do, He has gifted you to do, and what He

has gifted you to do, He has called you to do._____

51.The Apostle tell us to look for men who have the gift of

teaching or leading or exhortation._____

52.The Apostle does not tell us to look for men with dynamic

personalities, or who are regarded by people as great pulpiteers

or men of oratory, or for men who are successful

businessmen._____

53.Giftedness, or on dynamic personalities and such things in

themselves never qualify a man for leadership in the

church._____

Fill in the Blank

54.The emphasis must be on godly________. The body of

Christ needs men who are first and foremost men of

__________.

1. Character, God.

2. Intensions, The people

3. Spouse, integrity

4. Praise, worship

True or False

55.Ability, skill, and a man’s outward impression are not

unimportant nor are they completely neglected, BUT THEY

ARE NOT GIVEN OR HIGHLIGHTED AS THE PRIMARY

CONSIDERATION._____

56.The key to a man’s success in leading the church is his skills,

methods, personality, and even his gifts. Instead, the key is not

in his emotional, mental, and spiritual maturity.

No matter how gifted a man is, if he is spiritually immature, he

will be a poor leader and the church will be in trouble._____

57.With Elders and Deacons some will be more skilled and

gifted in one area and others in another. We need to allow Elders

and Deacons to work in the area of their giftedness._____

58.The qualifications of Elders and Deacons are goals and they

provide us with a target, only Elders and Deacons should set

their sights on these qualifications.____

59.The qualification of Deacons are marks of

1. Identification

2. Confirmation

3. None of the above

4. Both Identification & Confirmation

60.The qualifications of Deacons make the possessors of these

qualities

1. Examples

2. Patterns to follow

3. None of the above

4. Both Examples & Patterns to follow

61.What does it mean to be beyond reproach (1 Tim. 3:10)

62.We should be warned against hasty selection and ordination

of elders and deacons. Why?

63.When 1 Tim. 3:8 says that you should “Hold to the mystery of

the faith” What does this mean?

64.What does it mean to be a man of dignity in 1 Tim. 3:8?

65.What does it mean to be double tongued?

66.Does 1 Timothy 3:8 allow Deacons to drink wine?

67.Should greed be apart of a deacons character?

68.What does it mean to be the husband of one wife? (1 Tim.

3:12)

69.Why should a deacon be a good manager of their children and

their own household?

70.The words that summarizes the qualifications of Elders and

Deacon are

1. Gifted

2. Servant of God

3. Servant of Men

4. Booth 2 & 30

71.Effective ministry to others is often equated with

1. Dynamic personalities with talent and giftedness

2. Training and enthusiasm

3. Charisma

4. All of the above

72.If you had to choose between giftedness and godliness, what

would you choose?

True or False

73.Most denominations believe ordinations does not endow a

person with any special powers or authority,_____

74.Most denominations believe that ordination only indicate to

churches and to the world that a person has been accredited as

worthy to be a elder or deacon._____

75.All denomination agree that ordination is necessary or even

appropriate._____

-------------------------------WEEK 3-----------------------------------

76.Ordination is practiced by most churches and is considered

valid as long as you are a working Pastor or Deacon._____

77.When a person moves from one church to another as pastor or

deacon, there is a need to be re-ordained._____

78.Licensing a person to the gospel ministry or “setting a person

aside” to become a deacon is all the church needs to do._____

79.Licensing and setting aside, ushers in a period when the

church and the individual can evaluate whether the person is

suitable for pastoral ministry or servanthood._____

80.If a person can testify and get the church excited about the

Lord then we can set him aside._____

81.A man or women does not need a internal calling by God to

become a deacon or elder._____

82.The biblical qualifications for the office are only suggestions

because no one can be really qualified._____

83.The gifts necessary for effective pastoral or deacon ministry is

the essential thing for a church to proceed with ordination._____

84.The essential understanding is that the deacons state is first and

foremost completely about service._____

85.What is a Sacrament?

86.The Sacrament of Holy Orders has two degrees: diaconate, and

Eldership._____

87.The ordination of an Elder imparts a sacred character and

grants ministerial participation in the priesthood of your

pastor._____

88.The ordination of a deacon, is not an ordination into the

priesthood._____

89.The ordination of a deacon, is into service._____

90.Deacons are only identified by there devotion they perform in

church service._____

91.The essential identity of a deacon is as one who serves._____

92.The ministry and service of the deacon is to the poor, to the

imprisoned, to the sick and to those who are abandoned and

lonely, these are the modern day orphans and widows. (Acts

6)_____

93.The Sacrament of Holy Orders marks deacons with an imprint

of the Character of Christ._____

94.Christ made Himself the “deacon” or servant of all._____

95.For this level of Holy Orders of Deacon

1. Christ calls

2. The Church asks

3. The Elders or Priest ordain

4. All of the above

96.Deacons are consecrated witnesses to service._____

97.Explain why consecrated, witness, and service explains the

essence of the deacon.

98.Christian discipleship for the ordained is all about

oneself._____

99.Ordination to the deacon is all about achieving special status

and recognition in the Church._____

100.The permanent deacon is ordained to be a servant of Christ

to Gods people, and a humble aid to the ministry of Elders and

the Bishops._____

-------------------------------WEEK 4-----------------------------------

101.Diaconate ordination is authenticated by the Holy Spirit

through other deacons._____

102.Only Elders and Bishops can ordain deacons._____

103.Deacons are ordained to meet specific needs and desire of the

Christian community for service in the local church._____

104.What does it mean that Bishops are the successors to the

Apostles?

105.The diaconal witness is lived in the midst of the church._____

Fill in the blank:

106.The permanent deacon is often said to have a foot in the_____

and a foot in the________.

107.The deacon is a ordained minister to the world._____

108.Deacons usually has secular employment and other secular

responsibilities in the secular order._____

109.The permanent deacon serve in the image of Jesus

Christ._____

110.Deacons have a liturgical function in the trustee office._____

111.The deacons service at the altar brings into the sacred liturgy

a powerful and important reminder to all of us that the Church has

an essential diaconal character identity, to serve the world in

witness to the kingdom of God._____

112.A foreshadowing of the office of deacon in the Church

predates the New Testament._____

113.Moses, instructed by God, established an order of men, the

Priest, who represented the people in service to the priests and to

minister in the former tabernacle of the old covenant._____

114.Through friendship and nepotism the Apostles entrusted to

those chosen men the ministry of serving at tables._____

115.Deacons in the early Church

1. Preached, baptized, and served the early Church community.

2. Did devotion, kept the Apostles in their place, and voted the

Apostles and Bishops out of office.

3. Handled the finances, Ran the Church, and made all the

decisions.

4. All of the above.

Explain John 6:38 and Luke 22:27

The deacon is the functional arm of the local bishop._____

116.Deacons assist the bishop by:

1. Distributed alms to the poor.

2. Assisting in the sacred liturgy

3. Exercising responsibility for the temporal affairs and goods

of the Church.

4. All of the above.

True or False

117.The deacon is a advisor to the Bishop._____

118.He is a legal representative and confidant.____

119.The Deacon was the logical choice to succeed the bishop

upon his death after receiving priestly and episcopal

ordination._____

120.By 400 A.D. what factors contributed to the decline of the

diaconate as a permanent order within the Church.

121.Monasteries and monks was created as a result of punishment

for deacons disloyalty to elders and bishops_____

122.Monks and Nuns assumed responsibility for charitable

institution further contributing to a reduction in the need for

deacons who had formerly ministered to these needs._____

123.By 800 A.D. the diaconate was reduced as a transitional step

towards the priesthood in the church._____

124.In America during the 1950’s, a proposal to restore the

diaconate as a permanent order within the church._____

125.By the 1960’s, the Second Vatican Council proposed to the

universal Church that the ministry of the deacon came from the

Apostles, and as such, should be restored as a permanent order in

the Church._____

126.Assigned to the deacons traditional ministries was:

1. Administering baptism, ordinary minister of Holy

Communion, and officiating at funeral rites.

2. Witnessing of marriages and bringing viaticum to the dying

3. Proclaiming the word of God, exhorting and instructing

people, and charitable works.

4. All of the above.

True or False

127.The work of the deacon is done for the purpose of freeing the

pastoral staff to focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word,

promoting unity within the church, and the facilitating the spread

of the gospel,_____

128.Deacons and Elders are Two Distinct Offices in the New

Testament Church._____

129.There are three ordained offices in the church today, Bishops,

Elders and Deacons._____

130.The term bishop is translated overseer._____

131.The word episcopal mean bishop._____

132.The term bishop is used interchangeably with elder and

shepherd._____

133.Deacons are charged with the general oversight of the church

with the emphasis being on the spiritual building up of the body

of Christ._____

134.Some elders duties are more administrative in nature and

some elders have more of a teaching role._____

135.Hebrews 13:17 commands us to be supportive of the elders

ministry and to accept their leadership._____

136.What do we mean when we say that Elders are not deacons

and Deacons are not elders?

137.Some Pastors are gifted with the gift of Eldership witch

makes them apart of the fivefold ministry._____

138.Overseers & Deacons Office manage the work and deeds of

others for the Apostolic leader.____

SHORT ESSAYS: (No less than 2 paragraphs.)

139.Describe the deacon and the sacramental Church.

140.Describe the Deacon and the Word as Evangelizer and

Teacher.

141.14How does the Deacon relate to the Liturgy of the Altar?

142.How should the Deacon relate in the World of Work?

143.How does the Deacon and Charitable Work relate to their

service?

144.Describe: DIACONAL SPIRITUALITY

145.What is the role of the deacons spouse and family?

146.Give your understanding of recognition of permanent

deacons as clergy and the relationship with the pastor.

147.What is the permanent deacon’s pastoral assignment?

148.What is the letter of assignment?

149.What is the view of the permanent deacon and preaching?

Diaconal End of Academy Exam:

150.EXPLAIN: HOLY ORDERS (ORDINATION): ELDERS

(BISHOP), & (DEACONS).

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