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View Full Version : Deacon....or "board member?"

cameron222
July 7th, 2004, 09:03 PM
I heard a preacher on the radio as I was driving to work this morning and he made mention of a "board member."

I heard another preacher a while back talking about someone on "his" board.

What!! :freaked Churches have board members?? Whatever happened to deacons? "Board member" sound like a corporation and to refer to "my" board sound a bit possessive to me.

What's your take? Should churches have deacons, or board members??
mrsppmrxky
July 7th, 2004, 10:19 PM
We always have referred to the deacons as "The Deacon Board."

I don't know if that is the same thing this preacher was saying, but all of the Baptist churches I have ever been a member of had a Deacon Board.
Becky
July 7th, 2004, 10:23 PM
Board of Deacons = Flock of Seagulls. :D:
TyTex
July 7th, 2004, 11:18 PM
Over the years, I've been familiar with several Baptist churches that have referred to the deacons as the "board of deacons". I've also heard the elders in churches of other denominations referred to as a board.

The Baptist church where I've been a member for 28 years refers to the deacons as "the deacon body". I prefer that to being a member of a board.
1Heavenbound
July 7th, 2004, 11:24 PM
I heard a preacher on the radio as I was driving to work this morning and he made mention of a "board member."

I heard another preacher a while back talking about someone on "his" board.

What!! :freaked Churches have board members?? Whatever happened to deacons? "Board member" sound like a corporation and to refer to "my" board sound a bit possessive to me.

What's your take? Should churches have deacons, or board members??
I think we have both in our church, but I just don't know enough on whether, or not it's good or bad.
cameron222
July 7th, 2004, 11:43 PM
It just seems "worldy" to me to have a board rather than a deacon body and to talk about the board in a possessive manner makes one sound more like a CEO. (Big shot)

But in today's climate churches need lawyers to untangle legal matters, so maybe boards are needed to make "executive" decisions.
Michele93
July 8th, 2004, 08:51 AM
I am a member of a local Epicopal congregation. The 'board'/governing body is called a 'Vestry'...the head of the vestry is the 'Senior Warden'. Vestry folks are not ordained, they are all lay members of the congregation that are elected to serve on the vestry. In the Episcopal church/Anglican Church there are 3 orders of ordained ministry...deacon, priest, bishop. A deacon is a clergy member with a ministry of serving others and proclaiming the gospel. 'Deacon board' or lay people being 'deacons' just sounds weird to me...then again, the above probably sounds weird to many of you. Wouldn't it be cool if we all used the same terminology to refer to the same things!?

Michele
CamelPower
July 8th, 2004, 12:21 PM
"None of the Above" would be the NT's position.

As Paul established churches, they appointed "Elders" to rule each congregation. Men. A plurality, qualified, shepherding, leading, teaching men. Acts 20 has Paul's address to the Ephesian elders.

Very little of what folks actually do at local churches these days as to leadership is the NT and apostolic practice.

Deacons are there to serve the church, taking care of details, so that the elders could go about the business to shepherding, leading, and teaching.
BlackMoon
July 8th, 2004, 12:26 PM
Our church has a board because we do not have enough folks to qualify as deacons.
matheteou
July 8th, 2004, 02:17 PM
Our church has a board because we do not have enough folks to qualify as deacons.How many people do you need to "...qualify as deacons"?
Honda873
July 8th, 2004, 02:36 PM
We have church council...which is just made up of random people...including a youth or two....no qualifications i guess...just ask to be on it

i guess i never knew what real Deacons were....
Jael
July 8th, 2004, 02:47 PM
Our church has a board because we do not have enough folks to qualify as deacons.

What are the qualifications? Are they based on the I Timothy verses or are there other qualifications?
CamelPower
July 8th, 2004, 03:33 PM
The qualifications for deacons are virtually identical to that of elders, except deacons are not charged with the teaching of the flock.
Jael
July 8th, 2004, 03:46 PM
The qualifications for deacons are virtually identical to that of elders, except deacons are not charged with the teaching of the flock.

Yeah, those are the Biblical qualifications...but I was wondering what are requirements at Blackmoon's church (since they can't find enough qualified people?) Are there additional requirements besides those spelled out in I Timothy? Or is it really that there are not enough people who meet the Biblical requirements?