When Churches Are Deacon-Blessed
A pastor and board functioning correctly make a powerful team. The deacons hold up their shepherd’s hands the way Aaron and Hur supported Moses when God’s people battled the Amalekites.³⁶ So long as Moses extended the rod of God, the symbol of his divine call and authority, the Israelites won. When his hands dropped, the enemy prevailed, so the leaders by his side kept Moses’ hands held high.
When the pastor is lifted up, the whole church goes to a new level. When the pastor is pushed down, the church goes with him. Deacons have a multifaceted role, but the heart of it is to support and assist the pastor. They do that in prayer. They also do it as in Acts 6 where the seven men chosen to serve went to work in the daily food distribution. Some of the deacons began laying hands on the sick and God multiplied the ministry of the church with miracles and other manifestations of the Spirit.
Deacons have a legal function we cannot overlook. In the United States, the church is a tax-exempt non-profit organization under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It must be managed in compliance with IRS regulations. You will not find anyone better to meet those requirements than good deacons.
They are spiritually mature and trustworthy individuals with a deep personal commitment to the church’s mission. They are integrally involved in its life and ministries. Good deacons will meet and exceed all the government expects of an organizational board.³⁷
It is a problem, of course, if these individuals become more board than deacon oriented. They disqualify themselves because what makes them worthy to serve on the organizational board is the biblical standard for deacons.
As those qualities unfold, blessings flow to the church, the community, and beyond. When the man God has sent to a city as pastor is undergirded and walking in the right authority, he literally can push back the darkness and bring light to the community. Faithful deacons push with him.
Much like a local church should function, Moses gave the people God’s plan then watched over the battle in the power and authority God had given him. The people did the work! Under the covering of the divine commission, they advanced, but when Moses let down the rod, they began to lose ground. Those closest to him kept his hands lifted. This is the job of the deacon today.
Deacons bless the church as they reinforce the pastor in four essential ways: They pray for him, they extend his ministry arms, and they add their unique perspectives to perfect his vision. Then deacons bless the church and back their pastor most tangibly when they set his salary.
When Deacons Pray
First of all, they pray! No one should pray for the pastor more than the deacons. They grasp the power of prayer and how God responds, then take the lead in intercession. They each spend time daily praying for the pastor and come together for regular prayer times to support him.
When Deacons Are the Pastor’s Hands
Second, deacons extend the pastor’s hands in service. They go out and touch people, meet needs, mow lawns—whatever is needed. They do it in the name of the Lord but also in the name of the pastor. Deacons are the fingers and feet of his vision!
When the pastor raises his hands to God’s purpose, good deacons multiply them. A large part of the deacon’s ministry extends beyond the immediate task to organizing others and helping lead them in service. When the pastor holds forth, the entire body of Christ goes to work. When he reaches out, everything moves forward. The deacons make that happen.
Deacons take what the pastor is being led to do and spread it through the body. They add specific administrative, motivational, and organizational skills to make sure it comes to pass. They do not oppose what he is doing—unless as prescribed in previous chapters.
When Deacons Are the Pastor’s Eyes
Third, the deacon blesses the church as he becomes the pastor’s eyes. This means each deacon sees from his experience, gifting, and perspective what others may not realize. He can say: “Pastor, in all honesty, I’m seeing this, hearing this, and from my perspective, I suggest…”
Every gift of God for service brings a unique way of looking at everything. Responsibility for the work and his strong leadership gifts moved the Apostle Paul to refuse a vacillating John Mark a place on his missionary team.³⁸ Barnabus, with his gifts for consolation, saw a promising young worker in need of a mentor. The results were a stronger missionary force, led by Paul and Silas, for the immediate project but also a restored young preacher whom Paul later found of great value.³⁹
The pastor has only his perspective. Good deacons can see things which may escape him in the same event or circumstances. Deacons also are circulating in places and engaging in activities beyond the pastor’s circuit. This is why there is wisdom in the multitude of counselors.
Knowing this, deacons sit at planning tables with specific insights. They should share candidly, “Pastor, I see it this way” and “It appears to me…” This is not to override the pastor but to give him the full information he needs as he works to hear the voice of God.
Wisdom comes in three ways: experience, counsel, and the Lord’s direction. First is experience. A man learns from what he has done, heard, seen, or read. It develops in him a certain level of human wisdom. Everyone has some of this. Next is wisdom of the group. It comes through the insight and advice of many counselors. The third and greatest source of wisdom is the Lord Himself.
The goal of the pastor, and those working with him, is to come to the wisdom of God. As deacons work together with him, really love him, and faithfully stand with him to hold up his hands, they offer the completed perspective he desperately needs.
So, deacons are the pastor’s hands and eyes, serving as a buffer between the mundane stuff of church life and the real stuff the pastor needs to do. They help make sure he does not bog down in anything that would keep him from being fully able to love, lead, teach, and do the main things God has sent him to do. He must always be free to preach and teach the Word and to lead the church.
When Deacons Set the Pastor’s Salary
A fourth way deacons bless the church is in setting the pastor’s salary. Deacons typically have the duty and sacred responsibility of deciding how and what the pastor will be paid. They bless or bind the church immeasurably by how they do it.
Paul makes clear to Timothy that the pastor who does his work well, especially preaching and teaching, is worthy of double honor.⁴⁰ He should receive “twice as much” or “a much greater” reward for his service.
The Greek word here for “honor” means “value” or “price”. The context relates it to the pastor’s salary or support.⁴¹ Paul’s teaching may seem self-serving, but a higher principle is at stake.
How much is the pastor worth to you? What value do you place on God’s gift to the church? If the church is operating correctly, your children will live better lives. Your grandchildren will live better lives. They will go to heaven, and you will go to heaven when you die. Your community is going to become more righteous because of a good pastor. You will live in a better neighborhood. There will be peace in the house of God and it will filter into your home. The man of God will share incredible wisdom, priceless Bible teaching, and a shepherd’s love for his flock. Miracles are going to come when you appreciate the gift God has given.
When you love, respect, and value the gift from God, you will not want to know how cheaply you can get by in paying a pastor. The mindset to pay the least a pastor will accept or to “go for the cheap one” among candidates demonstrates you do not value the call of God and His pastor-teacher gift.
True deacons lift the hands of the pastor. They bring the perspective for strong support and they will not be stingy. They will take the Scriptures to heart and determine to bless the pastor as they would bless the Lord. They will prove their appreciation for His gift.
If a board and the church are not generous with His gift, why would He be generous with them? If the person God has sent is not rightly honored, how can he lead and direct the body as he should? The whole understanding that God gives a pastor to lead, bless, and take the church into a new place in His purpose begins here.
What about the other side of the issue? Suppose the church blesses and shows great respect for the gift, but that pastor does not prove worthy. Wise deacons know God sees the heart. If the church honors the office and God’s call, He will give them a pastor who will live up to and exceed all they are willing to pay. If you do right because it is right, God will make sure you have a worthy individual who will a blessing to you and to your community. Do not wait until you get the right person. Start now being generous.
Some individuals and churches practice the dangerous notion of withholding tithes so the pastor cannot make it. They intend to starve him out. They are playing desperate games with God. Ananias and Sapphira paid a terrible price for holding back and lying to the Holy Spirit.⁴² Their sin may not have been a church power grab, but the same selfish and rebellious spirit was at work. If a man needs to go, address the problem the right way. Look to those overseeing him in authority for help, but always honor the office.
In matters of salary, deacons deal with holy things, the Lord’s tithe and how He would spend it. Good deacons make certain they keep right purpose and pure motives as they take action on salary for the person God has called to lead them. Then they bless, not just the pastor, but the whole church.