The head deacon is a member of the church board. The
work of the deacons involves a wide range of practical
services for the church, including:
A newly elected deacon cannot fill
his office until he has been set apart by an ordained
minister who holds current credentials from the conference/mission/field.
The sacred rite of ordination should
be simply performed in the presence of the church by
an ordained minister, and may consist of a brief reference
to the office of deacon, the qualities required of such
a servant of the church, and the principal duties he
will be authorized to perform for the church. After
a short exhortation to faithfulness in service, the
minister, assisted by an elder where appropriate, ordains
the deacon by prayer and the laying on of hands.
If he has been once ordained as deacon,
and has maintained his membership, it is not necessary
for him to be ordained again even though he has transferred
to another church. When the term for which he was elected
expires, he must be reelected if he is to continue to
serve as deacon. Should one who has been ordained as
elder be elected as deacon of a church, it is not necessary
for him to be ordained as deacon; his ordination as
elder covers this office.
