Deacon Ordination Service

Every time we have the opportunity to ordain a man into the deacon ministry it is special. Now, maybe you’re newer to Taylor Road or even Baptist life and you’re wondering what on earth this is all about. Or, maybe you’ve been here for years and you’ve been a Baptist for years. I think it is important for us to be reminded, tonight, of the importance of what we are doing and why we are doing it.

In the New Testament, there are two “offices” of service in the Church. Now, there are many gifts of the Spirit that believers have and many various ways that Christians serve the Church. But, there are only two “offices” or leadership roles instituted by the Bible for the Church. The first is what the New Testament calls the elder/overseer…PASTOR.

The second is the office of DEACON. So…Deacons aren’t just a “Baptist” thing or something we came up with.

I want us to take a look, for a few minutes, at the very beginning of the deacon ministry.

Acts 6:1–7 “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 set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

Deacons are MINISTERS. It is an OFFICE of MINISTRY.

THE MINISTRY RESPONSIBILITIES

Ministry of SERVICE

Ministry of SAFEGUARDING

Ministry of SUPPORT

Serve the Church (widows), Safeguard the unity, Support the pastor.

THE MINISTRY REQUIREMENTS

Good reputation

Full of the Spirit and wisdom

Men of humility and willingness

THE MINISTRY RESULTS

more added to the body every day

Ordain—laying on of hands and prayer