So you want to be a Deacon

Deacons in the early churches of the New Testament period were selected on the basis of these Christian qualifications:

a. SERIOUS PURPOSE — "Likewise must the deacons be grave." (KJV/3:8) or, "Deacons, too, must be serious." (Williams/3:8) Semnos (grave) comes from the root word meaning "to reverence" or "to worship." Persons in the presence of a deacon should feel reverence for spiritual matters.

b. HONEST IN SPEECH — "Not double-tongued" (KJV/3:8) or, "sincere in their talk" (Williams/3:8) "Double-tongued" means saying one thing to
one person and something else to another. A deacon should thus be in
control of their tongue. They should not deceive anyone. They should
speak out for righteous causes. They also have the responsibility for being
slow to speak angrily. Their word must be honest. Gossip, tale bearing,
idle talking, or slander are not a part of a deacon's nature.

c. TEMPERATE IN LIVING - "Not given to much wine" (KJV 3:8) or, "not addicted to strong drink." (Williams/3:8) The deacon should be free
from any intemperance that would injure him and the family and
make ineffective his Christian witness in a non-Christian world
devoted to a variety of willful excesses in personal living.

d. STEWARD OF POSSESSIONS - "Not greedy of filthy lucre" (KJV/3:8) or, "not addicted to dishonest gain." (Williams/3:8) While deacons believe that material possessions are not evil or filthy, They are not
controlled by a greedy obsession to obtain all the material possessions
they can. They will have a caring concern for the needs of others;
and they will desire to share material possessions with others.

e. SPIRITUAL INTEGRITY - "Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure
conscience." (KJV/3:9) or, "they must continue to hold the open
secret of faith with a clear conscience." (Williams/3:9) This means
deacons should believe sound doctrine, and should hold firm to their
convictions. Their spiritual integrity is above reproach.

f. PROVED SPIRITUAL MATURITY - "Let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless."
(KJV/3:10) or, "They too should first be tested till approved, and then,
if they are found above reproach they should serve as deacons."
(Williams/3:10) This means that they should demonstrate these
spiritual qualifications before being elected. Their daily attitudes,
speech, and conduct should be observed for an appropriate period by
fellow Christians. "Blameless" means that no one could level a charge
of wrong doing against them. Only after they have thus been tested
and proved true should they be elected.