083 Why and how do you appoint deacons?
In this episode, we dig beneath the traditions and assumptions surrounding deacon selection and go back to the New Testament pattern.
Why were deacons appointed in the first place?
Who actually chose them? And how does Acts 6 reshape common practices like “rewarding faithfulness,” filling vacancies, or appointing men to keep families from leaving the congregation?
You’ll discover a simple, biblical framework: identify the real need, teach the qualifications, let the congregation select, and let the leaders appoint.
If your congregation is confused and frustrated with how deacons are chosen—or not chosen—this episode offers clarity, challenge, and a roadmap back to the model that worked in the first century.
Here are some reasons I’ve heard and observed for appointing deacons
- For perfect attendance. When it comes time to appoint more deacons, some selectors say, “He's a good ol’ boy and attends all the services. Let's make him a deacon.”
- To encourage men to be more regular in their attendance. “That family hasn’t been attending as well as they should. Maybe if we make him a deacon, they will be more faithful.”
- To keep people from leaving the congregation. “I've heard these two families are thinking about leaving this congregation and going across town. Maybe if we make those two men deacons, they’ll stay.”
- To replenish the list of deacons listed in the bulletin and on our website. “You know, we're getting pretty low on deacons. I think we need to appoint some more.”
- To select an adequate and qualified number of men to accomplish a specific task.
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” — Acts 6:1-4, ESV
How should we select deacons?
In Acts 6:1-7, we see how the early church selected leaders. There’s some discussion about whether these men were actually deacons. Can you have deacons with no elders? The word to describe what their responsibilities would be is from the same word that is used for deacon in other passages.
I find no other examples in the New Testament of how the church selected leaders. Some would point to Acts 14, where Paul and Barnabas appointed elders as they returned to visit the churches they’d established on the first missionary journey.
Others point to Paul's instruction to Titus at the beginning of his letter.
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you. —Titus 1:5
This is where some people get the idea that preachers should select and appoint elders.
However, there are two actions in Acts 6 and not one. Notice that the apostles told the multitude, "You select and we’ll appoint.”
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they (the full number of the disciples) set before the apostles, and they (the apostles) prayed and laid their hands on them. — Acts 6:1-6
The full number of the disciples selected the seven men. The apostles appointed the seven men.
We get this application of this passage in the same way that we get the authority to pay the preacher and the electric bill in 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2.
Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
This collection was their “gift to Jerusalem” (1 Corinthians 16:3). We quote this passage as we prepare to give our contribution. Their gift was to the poor Christians in Jerusalem. We say this is how the church in the first century raised funds to support its work. And we use the contribution to support missionaries, pay the preacher, and the electric bill.
It’s my understanding that Acts 6 is how the church of the first century appointed leaders.
The need for deacons may arise when someone complains about a need that isn’t being met. They may come to the elders or the preacher to fulfill that need. If elders and preachers continually respond by doing it themselves, they’ll find themselves serving as deacons, bearing the titles of elders and preachers.
The job description of elders, preachers, and teachers is to prepare Christians to be ministers.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. — Ephesians 4:11,12
In Acts 6:
- The Hellenists complained.
- The apostles said, "We're not going to the grocery store.”
- They continued, "We're concerned. We want the needs met. We have other things to do that Jesus asked us to do. We’ll set a structure for you to solve your problem.
My suggestion from these passages:
- When a need arises in a congregation, the congregation selects one or more men to see that this work is done.
- The elders can tell how many need to be appointed. They should teach or have taught the qualities of the men that’s needed to do this work.
- The church selects. The elders and preachers appoint.
My last word:
Find the work that needs to be done, select and appoint deacons to do it, then “turn this responsibility over to them.” — Acts 6:3, NIV
