Deacon and Deaconess

Duties of the Deacon and Deaconess:

1. Greeting and Ushering. Especially in smaller congregations, the deacon and deaconess will serve as greeters and ushers for the services held in the church. They will also help the pastor and other event leaders maintain the smooth operation of church meetings.

2. Upkeep of Church Property. They will take responsibility for the care and upkeep of church property, including the oversight or actual doing of the janitorial work, repairs, grounds maintenance, interior decorating and small renovations.

3. Security. They will care for the security of those in attendance at church activities, always vigilant for the comfort and safety of all persons. This includes opening the church building(s) before meetings and locking the facility at the conclusion of activities.

4. Visitation. They will join with the pastor and elders in visiting church members. Some churches assign a geographic area or certain number of members for deacons and deaconesses in teams of two or three to visit.

5. Assisting with the Baptismal Ceremony. The traditional roles for this service are described below.

·         The deacons will:

            Prepare and fill the pool.

            Assist male candidates.

            Do the physical labor related to the service.

·         The deaconesses will:

            Prepare the robes for all who are participating.

            Assist female candidates.

            Launder and store robes, towels, etc., after the ceremony

6. Assisting with the Communion Service. The traditional roles for this service are described below.

·         The deacons will:

            Provide the physical arrangements, such as placing the communion table.

            Place the towels, basins and water in the appropriate rooms for use in the

            Ordinance of Humility.

            Dispense water and basins for the men during the Ordinance of Humility,

            giving particular attention to visitors and new members.

·         The deaconesses will:

            Prepare the bread and grape juice.

            Arrange the emblems and covering on the table.

            Dispense water and basins for the women during the Ordinance of Humility,

            giving attention and assistance to visitors, new members, and the aged.

            Clean and store the linens and serving pieces used in Communion.

·         It is appropriate for either deacons or deaconesses, who have been ordained, to assist in distributing the emblems and uncovering and recovering the table during the service.

7. Caring for the Congregation. In many churches an unwritten tradition gives the women who serve as deaconesses or deacons the responsibility of organizing hot meals for any church family that experiences a death or other tragedy. This may mean simply taking food to the home or, in some cases, the serving of an entire meal to family and guests after a funeral. Often the planning of wedding and baby showers is also done by this group. This is an important aspect of a caring ministry in the congregation.