Each year First Baptist Church elects twelve deacons to serve a two year term. The deacons are called by the church to help in pastoral ministry and to model consistent Christian living before the congregation.
Pastors (also known as elders and bishops) and deacons are the two scriptural offices in the church. Therefore, those who serve as pastors and deacons have special responsibilities to lead the church.
Because of their responsibility, deacons have specific qualifications in the Bible. Both Acts 6 and 1 Timothy 3 describe the qualifications of deacons. Deacons should be men filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom, men of good reputation who model the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives. In addition, they should be men who exhibit strong family lives and are respected for sound judgment and loving concern for others. I write about the importance of deacons to the church here. http://waylonbailey.com/2011/07/leading-the-church/. I hope that you will read it as well.
At FBC, deacons are the people (among many others) who visit the hospitals and nursing homes, care for the hurting, and share the message of the Kingdom of God.
Our deacon election will take place the weekend of November 5-6, 2011. Our Deacon Nominating Team has placed the names of seventeen men in nomination. You will be able to vote for twelve men to serve for the calendar years 2012-2013. Next week, you will receive a brochure with pictures, names, and information about these nominees. They are all outstanding men of good reputation and with a heart to serve First Baptist Church: Sean Barnes, Jim Bishop,Tom Chambless, Eddie Dease, Michael Fairburn, Jason Hunt, Matthew Johnston, Rock Kendrick, Mike Martin, Larry McKinney, Kent Naquin, Dale Padgett, Rhett Rush, Todd Snure, Steve Soileau, Ron Trupp, Otto Walker.
As I have said to others, these are not the “best” 17 or the “only” 17. Some of these men have served as deacons before; others have not. They are simply men who have been prayed over and who seek to serve the church.
Electing leaders was important in the early and vital to the present day church. Please help us by leaving comments about how your church elects deacons or other church leaders or how you see the process.
If you would like to receive additional stories and devotionals during the week, you can subscribe to waylonbailey.com below. Simply type in your email address and click subscribe. It’s free and easy. When you receive a return email, confirm your desire to subscribe by replying to the email.
Waylonbailey.com is my ministry across the internet. I would appreciate your subscribing and forwarding this and other posts to your friends. Thanks for your help and support.