What is a Deacon??

On Saturday at the Nyimba Associational Meeting, Kendall told all of the church leaders that he would be more than happy to come and teach them concerning any matters in the church that they were uneducated about or unsure of. Immediately, the pastor at Chansanje Baptist Church , Laxson Njobvu, approached Kendall and asked him to come on Wednesday, July 1st, to teach about the role of deacons in the church. Kendall was so excited that they had invited him, he studied God's Word to see what it said about the qualifications of a deacon and their job within the church. Here are a few of the passages that Kendall taught from in order to teach these church members about the character, role, and selection of deacons within the church body.

1 Timothy 3:8-13 describes the character of a deacon:

"Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus."

Acts 6:1-15 describes the need for deacons, the way of choosing and ordaining a deacon within the church. Acts 6:3-7 gives specific details of how the disciples chose deacons to assist in serving the church. Below is Acts 6:3-7.

"Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them. The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith."

It was an encouraging morning and we were so happy that churches are asking to learn things that they are lacking knowledge about! Praise the Lord for the 19 men and women that attended the lesson this morning! Pray that these leaders and church members will take what they have heard from God's Word and apply it in their congregations. Pray that the congregations will receive God's Word with an open and pure heart.