Articles

Question

Could you explain the difference between elders and deacons in church leadership? Also, do men and women have different roles in leadership?

Answer

There are a variety of opinions among the various denominations concerning the roles of men and women in church leadership. Our goal at Wellington was to discover God's perfect design for church leadership as revealed in His word.

According to I Timothy 3:1-7, an elder in God's church is to be a man who is above reproach, who is a one-woman man, temperate, prudent (self disciplined), respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drinker, not a brawler (quick tempered), gentle (considerate, genial, gracious), not quarrelsome, not a lover or money, one who manages his household well, whose children are under control with all dignity (courteous, competent, humble, well-disciplined, brings honor to their parents), not a new convert, and who has a good reputation with those outside the church.

The original language (Greek) makes it clear that men are to serve in the capacity of elder. While women have a vitally important role in the church, the home, and in society, and while both men and women serve in a variety of ways under the general category of deacon, God's word is clear that the elders within God's church are to be the most spiritually mature men within the congregation.

Elders (overseers, pastors) are to preach, teach (I Tim. 5:17), pray for the sick (James 5:14), set an example for others (I Peter 5:1-2), set church policy (Acts 15:22ff), and ordain other leaders (I Tim. 4:14).

Paul's description of the qualifications for elders in I Timothy focused on their character rather than their function, because a man is qualified by who he is, not by what he does. Leadership in the church was not meant to be a mantle of status to be conferred on the church's aristocracy. It wasn't earned by seniority, purchased with money, or inherited through family ties. It didn't necessarily fall to those who are successful in business or finance. It wasn't doled out on the basis of intelligence, education, or talent. Its requirements are faultless character, spiritual maturity, skill in teaching, and a willingness to serve humbly.

Church leadership is ministry, not management. God calls elders, not to be governing monarchs, but humble servants; not charismatic personalities, but faithful shepherds. The man who leads God's people must exemplify sacrifice, devotion, submission, and lowliness.

Wellington is a Christocracy, where Christ is the head of the church (Eph. 5:23) and His word is the final source of authority. The elders of the church are careful to lead, guide, shepherd, instruct, and care for the people of the church according to God's word.

The original meaning of the word diakonos (deacon) referred to individuals who performed menial tasks. The term later broadened to include a group of people called in an official capacity as servants of the church. While elders are responsible for teaching God's word, deacons function as models of spiritual virtue and service. As with elders, the deacon's qualifications are related to their spiritual character, not their function. No specifics are given in Scripture as to the duties of deacons; they were to carry out whatever task was assigned to them by the elders.

According to I Timothy 3:8-10, 12, male deacons were to be men of dignity (serious), not double-tongued (verbal honesty), not addicted to wine, free from greed, understood biblical faith, were beyond reproach, the husband of one wife (moral character, not marital status), and good managers of their children and households.

In I Timothy 3:11, Paul refers to another group. Some translations use the word 'wives,' but the Greek literally reads 'women' (gunaikeios) and there is no possessive pronoun or definite article connecting these women with the male deacons. Second, since Paul gave no qualifications for elder's wives, why would he do so for deacons' wives? Third, Paul did not use the word 'deaconesses' because there was no such word in the Greek language. Phoebe is called a deacon in Romans 16:1 because there's no feminine form of diakonos. So using the word 'women' (gunaikeios) was the only way Paul could distinguish them from male deacons. In any event, these women were to possess the same moral character as the men and were to serve the church in the areas in which God had gifted them.

Men and women served within the church as diakonos, but their roles were different by design. For example: women were not to exercise authority over men in the services of the church, not because they were spiritually inferior (they were not), but because God's law commanded it (I Timothy 2:11-14). Their roles differed in function, but not in spirituality or importance.

The church leaders at Wellington are the elders. The deacons are Godly servants, who work together in harmony under the authority of Christ as the head of the church and are respectfully submissive to the spiritual guidance of the church elders in accordance with God's word.