Selecting Deacons: Thoughts on Acts 6

written by Neal Thornton, Senior Pastor (January 14, 2024)

Last year I began preaching through the book of Acts on Sunday mornings. It’s been a true delight to see the early formation of God’s people, indwelled and accompanied by the Holy Spirit as Jesus so promised (John 16:7; Luke 24:49). From pneumatology to ecclesiology, lessons surely abound from the introductory scenes chronicled by Doctor Luke. As our study has now reached the sixth chapter, one very practical insight has come to the fore—the selection of servants, or we might even say, “deacons.” As Acts 6 opens, we’ve learned how the apostles provided a servant solution to a growing, at times complaining, church. Further, we noted how the early church’s selection process may inform the contemporary church of a method for servant selection, even for deacon ministry. 

The year is 2024. It’s no longer the first century, and we are not in Jerusalem. And further, the deacon office has been ordained as an official office in the local church (Phil. 1:1). But that does not mean the descriptions from life in the first century church are without contemporary application. We can learn a lot from going all the way back to the beginning. Therefore, in this post, I’d like to propose the process mentioned in Acts 6 for the selection of seven servants, as a general framework for modern deacon selection. To be sure, deacons are not mentioned explicitly in this text as they are in Philippians 1 and 1 Timothy 3. However, based upon the linguistic value of the verb “serve” and the listing of similar character qualifications as those in 1 Timothy, we are on good ground to at least see a prototype deacon in Acts 6.¹  

We should note that if this text is not at least linked to the origin of deacons, we have no precedent for the office in the early church, and yet the office is accepted in the subsequent Scriptures of the New Testament. So, I’m going with Acts 6 as an early representation of deacon ministry in the early church, while recognizing it to be the only passage where a selection process for servants is applied. If a church wants therefore Biblical warrant for their selection process, then Acts 6, albeit descriptive, is a good place to find it. 

Before outlining the selection process, a few interpretive points should be made on the text.

• Deacon ministry originates as an administrative solution to a practical problem in ministry (v. 1-2). Thus, there is no assumption that every church should have deacons in the same number or use them in the same way. 
• Deacons fulfill the second side of the labor divide between spiritual and physical ministry. They meet practical needs (“serve tables”), absorb relational shocks, and preserve congregational unity while pastors maintain their focus on prayer and preaching. (v. 2, 4) 
• Because their ministry would have them immersed among needy people (table waiting), deacons are to meet only the highest of character qualifications. Given that no other NT passage outlines the deacon’s function, it can be assumed that deacons more than likely are to meet the physical needs of the congregations either on the individual or corporate level, or perhaps both. 
• Though the complaint came from the congregation, the idea of selecting deacons came from the apostles. The administration of the selection process is then overseen by the apostles at the approval of the congregation. Such is an early example of healthy congregationalism where we see the deacons serving, the elders (apostles at this time) leading, and the congregation ruling.  

Selection Process

The “brothers (and sisters)” are instructed to carefully select men who meet certain qualifications, of which character takes priority over competency (v. 3). While the process used for making their selections is unknown, at least three components can be observed: First, the pipe, “pick out from among you;” second, the screen, “good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom;” and third the vote, “set before the apostles.” However these three mechanics were employed, the instructions given by the apostles “pleased the whole gathering.” (v. 5) 

There is great latitude in how the contemporary church selects their deacons, as few parameters—by the Holy Spirit’s design—are mentioned in the text. Every local church then must come up with their own process within the Acts 6 paradigm for there is no other process mentioned in the Bible. 

Let’s look at these three elements.

1. The Pipe - “Brothers, pick out from among you” 

Servants (which we will refer to here as “deacons” for the sake of simplicity) are selected from the congregation. These are not hired hands from the outside. These men are not trained to become deacons, but identified as deacons from among the people. Those already serving, already with exemplary character, those are the men selected. Training comes after installation. 

But it is not clear who does this selection. We are only told “brothers.” Was this a committee? Did the apostles ask for nominations? Surely some process was used given the size of the congregation. Yes, an anonymous popular vote is an option. Was there one vote or two? Perhaps asking persons to attach their name is better. Some churches have asked that a short rationale be submitted with each name. Here is where churches must demonstrate prudence. For example: Should selections be made from the congregation at large, or from a tighter, previously identified group of men known to be servants? Whatever method is used, men come from the congregation to serve the congregation and be approved by the congregation.

2. The Screen - “seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom”

Not everyone can be a deacon, all the time. The early church selected seven. Why seven? We do not know. We should note however that seven is a small number considering the size of the congregation. This tells us that these men were likely charged with the oversight of table service, perhaps not as hands on as others. Why seven “men” were selected, we are not sure. Reasons could range from tradition to function, but we would not want to press an argument here for a male-only diaconate—especially since we are not dealing here with the formally, subsequently formed deacon office noted in the Pauline epistles. (That conversation resides primarily with the use of “women” (Gk: γυναῖκας) in 1 Tim. 3:11) The number seven, a filter in itself, is connected to the function of the ministry. Any selection process must be shaped by the function of the deacon ministry, not vice-versa.

The men were not only filtered by number, but by nature. That is, their character. Three exemplary marks must be present, qualifying a man as worthy of a noble service. As seen later of deacon qualification in 1 Timothy 3, his is not one of competency but of character. Again, congregations must choose their own method for determining a man’s observable character. Some churches use surveys and interview candidates upon completion. Still others select from internal ministries where a documented history of character has been proven. 

3. The Vote - “what they said pleased the whole gathering… These they set before the apostles”

I must admit, as a convictional congregationalist who believes in elder leadership under congregational governance, this text floats my Baptist boat. What we have here is the congregation—at the direction of the apostles—selecting men for service. The apostles are not ruling, but leading. The congregation is not leading, but ruling (and serving!). Verse 5 reads, “and what they said pleased the whole gathering.” Meaning, the congregation approved of the apostle’s process of selection, and then, at some level came to a congregational consensus to then “set before the apostles” the men they had selected. 

The church, not the apostles, selected the seven at the apostle’s direction. The selections were made, they brought their selections before the apostles, and with hands laid on the candidates the apostle’s affirmed and appointed them. We see a mutual (beautiful) trust between the apostles and the people. The apostles bookended the process, starting with leading and directing (the congregation then selected and approved) and finished with affirming and appointing. Apostle (elder) led congregationalism at its best. It went well, just read verse 7. 

Now, the text does not say that there was a congregational vote. Perhaps there was a members meeting. There in fact may have been. We do not know how the congregation reached a consensus, but they did. Regardless of how they get there, churches must find some way to congregationally approve both the man and his ministry. Here again, churches have to figure this out on their own, in context and culture. But in the end, no deacon should be installed into service (nor should he want to be!) without the backing of the people to whom he has been charged to serve. 

Models for ministry

Before a selection process can be shaped, the role and responsibility of the deacon must be determined. Is each deacon assigned a specific ministry, or do they work as a general team? (Many favor a both/and approach.) Defining the deacon ministry will help shape both the quality (skill) and quantity (number) of candidates needed. Regardless of the ministry model, the New Testament sets forth certain character qualifications (1 Timothy 3:8-13) and is descriptive of the deacon’s function to the degree that a general scope of service can be assumed as his primary ministry. (Acts 6:1-7)

Deacon ministry models are largely determined by the level at which deacons are called upon to perform duties assigned to the office of elder (leading, teaching, pastoring). One should note, such duties assigned to the deacon body can often distract and dilute the true service ministry of the deacon. The more deacons function as elders, the less they will be able to serve as deacons. Pastoral ministry, therefore, should first be led by the pastors as ones who are responsible for the flock (Heb. 13:7, 17), while utilizing uniquely able deacons to assist in areas of particular need. 

Deacons play a key role of service and support in local churches. The ministry of the word by the pastors is often helped along by such faithful servants. Take any church that loves their Bibles, wants healthy pastors, and is eager to meet the needs of its people, and you’ll surely find a strong band of biblical qualified and functioning deacons. In the words of Luke the historian, may “the word of God continue to increase, and the number of the disciples multiply greatly!”

¹ New Testament scholar Darrel Bock writes, for example, “This is probably not the origin of the office of deacon. The title is never used for the group, nor is there any evidence that these men do all the things that deacons did. However, the principle of designating a set of laborers for this kind of task is probably what led to the creation of the office at a later time.” Bock, Darrell, Acts, (Baker: Grand Rapids, 2007), 262. For further study, see chapter 34, “What Is the Background of the New Testament Deacon?” in Ben Merkle, 40 Questions About Elders and Deacons, (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2008), 227-232.