What Is a Deacon or Deaconess and Their Role in the Local Church?

Ask most churchgoers what a deacon or deaconess does, and you'll get all kinds of answers, some accurate, some just tradition. But here at The Crossings we are about to initiate our very first diaconate and ordain our first class of Deacons/Deaconesses so we want to make sure that everyone is on the same page as to their role in our local body.

The very word "deacon" comes from the Greek diakonos, simply meaning "servant". But don't let the simplicity fool you; in God's design, deacons have a noble calling. In Acts 6, we encounter the early church overwhelmed by practical needs, food distribution to widows was causing division. The apostles, responsible for preaching and prayer, needed help. The solution? Set apart "seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom" to handle the task (Acts 6:3, ESV). These first deacons freed the apostles to focus on the ministry of the Word, while ensuring no one fell through the cracks.

Today, a deacon's ministry may look different, organizing meal trains, caring for widows, overseeing benevolence, teaching a small group, leading a ministry, managing church facilities, or leading outreach projects, but the heartbeat is the same: practical service, done in love, so that no one is left out or left behind.

What about deaconesses? In our church we believe, and teach, that is biblical for women to serve as deaconesses, coming alongside the men to expand the touch of compassionate ministry. The New Testament mentions a woman named Phoebe as a "deacon" or "servant" of the church (Romans 16:1) and her example reminds us this service isn't limited by gender, but by gifting and calling.

-Pastor Justin

The Crossings Community Church is a Southern Baptist church plant in Brunswick, Maryland, led by Pastor Justin Wyckoff. We meet Sundays at 10:00 AM. Learn more at thecrossings.cc.