The office of deacon is described in 1 Timothy 3:8–13 and Acts 6:1–7.
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The church shall recognize, in accordance with the constitutional provisions on elections, men who are giving of themselves in service to the church, and who possess particular gifts of service. These members shall be received as gifts of Christ to His church and set apart as deacons.
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In addition to the specific responsibilities listed below, the role of the deacon is to serve the elders, freeing them to fulfill their primary role of prayer and the ministry of the word. God’s design of the office of deacon serves to put down dissension in the church.
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They shall be elected to two terms lasting for a maximum of three years and may only be elected to another term after one year. In the event that there are no qualified candidates to fill the vacant office of deacon, the term may be extended in one-year increments until a qualified candidate can be secured.
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The deacons shall meet on a regular basis. The elders shall be informed of all deacon meetings and invited to send a representative to such meetings. The deacons will submit a copy of the minutes of their meetings to the elders. In the interest of efficient function, the deacons may choose necessary leaders from among their number.
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Deacons shall care for the temporal needs of members, attend to the accommodations for public worship, including caretaker and stewardship responsibilities over all church properties, and encourage and support those able to help others and those with gifts of administration.
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The deacons, under the leadership of the elders, shall assist in preparing an itemized annual budget that will be presented to the church each year for approval.
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The deacons shall receive, hold, and disburse a fund for benevolence, reporting on its use to the elders at their request, and reporting to the church its total receipts and total disbursements only.
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The deacons, with the agreement of the elders, may establish unpaid administrative positions or committees of members to assist them in fulfilling their responsibilities in the church.