One of my favorite deacons had more tattoos than teeth. Herbie was the lone deacon at my first church, a rural congregation of six people. I was in my mid-twenties, serving the church bi-vocationally. The trip was two hours one way to get there. Four-wheel drive was required on some home visits. I was a terrible pastor, lacking experience, preaching skills, and maturity. I led worship, too—from an old karaoke machine. My lone deacon occasionally smoked during the service. The smell of Marlboros will forever be associated with the book of Ephesians in my mind.
One immature pastor and one rough deacon actually ended up working out. God took two negatives and made a positive. We served together. I’ll never forget the work day when Herbie decided the moth-eaten choir robes needed to go. That was one giant bonfire. We laughed together, like the time he let a few choice words fly as the auctioneer at a church fundraiser.
Most importantly, we shared Jesus together. Herbie was the linebacker of door-to-door evangelism. To this day I am inspired by his passion and amazed nobody called the cops after hearing him yell, “I know you’re in there!” at the door. Two decades later and the memories just get sweeter. I loved serving with Herbie at my first church. Our methods were poor, but our hearts were pure.
In some ways, my ministry with deacons has progressed from choir robe bonfires. In other ways, I don’t want to lose the spirit of grittiness that I learned from Herbie. My first church wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t even healthy. But we worked hard. I recently had the privilege of ordaining new deacons at my current church. I gave them specific charges to help them grow as deacons. As I wrote the ordination sermon, Herbie was on my mind. Four of these charges stand out as vital to the growth of new deacons and deacons at any stage of maturity.
Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. In Acts 6, when the Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews argued over the care of widows, a group of deacons formed to help solve the problem. The result was preaching that flourished and disciples that multiplied. In order to grow, deacons must approach ministry with a problem-solving attitude. Deacons with a negative tone and a hostile posture will not grow. Negativity almost always creates problems and rarely contributes to solutions. One thing I loved about Herbie was his positive attitude. He remained optimistic regardless of the problem. In fact, the church did not hold services for two years before I came. During that time without a pastor, Herbie built a bathroom expecting growth. The new people who came two years later were grateful.
Prioritize church unity above tasks. I have fallen into the trap of making tasks more important than people. Of course, completing a task list is necessary. In most churches, deacons have a lot of things to do. They are assigned widows. They visit hospitals. They lead ministries and help steward resources. They take care of the buildings and grounds, among many other tasks. While completing tasks, don’t lose sight of their purpose: church unity. When I got frustrated about getting things done, Herbie reminded me of what is most important. The priority of serving people is to keep them together, even above getting things done.
Promote the faith, not yourself. A deacon is an officer in the church. Most deacons lead in some capacity and are almost always held in high regard. The biblical design of the role means that deacons will often know more about what is happening in the church than anyone else. In some churches, people will approach the chairman of the deacons with issues before going to the lead pastor. Herbie always heard things first. I was always second. But, Herbie never used his knowledge and connections in the church to gain authority and power. Deacons should never use their positions in the church as a platform to promote themselves. Healthy deacons promote the faith and contend for the faith.
Understand that how you treat your family is more important than what you do in the church. No one will care twenty years from now how you voted on certain motions brought up in meetings. But your children will care how you manage your home, and your wife will care if you are faithful (1 Timothy 3). Herbie’s truck was a fixture at the church. He mowed the grounds. He cared for the cemetery. He was always there. As much as Herbie loved the church, he loved his wife more. Great family men make great deacons. A healthy deacon’s first concern is for the home, not the church.
Herbie was an excellent deacon. Granted, he did not fit most churches’ mold for a deacon. However, God used him to revive a church that was all but dead. He was always part of solutions, not problems. He prioritized church unity. Herbie promoted the faith, not himself. And he loved his family. Not only did Herbie grow, but he helped a young pastor—me—grow as well.
