dea•con (de'ken) n 1. Attendant or assistant to church leaders. [See 1 Timothy 3: 8]

Historically, deacons have served as both care providers and overseers of the church body.

Their duties are often derived from Acts 6. During the earliest church development (Acts 1-5) the apostles had maintained direct oversight over all the church’s life and done so under the authority from the Lord himself. At Chapter 6, however, some believers with Greek background felt that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food among the needy Christians. The Apostles gathered the Christians and urged them to pick several of their number, so that:

• This duty might be properly done
• The apostles might be free to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word

Deacons today should expect that their task is:

• To help people with various kinds of needs
• To relieve elders of these and other tasks that detract from their concentration on “prayer and the ministry of the Word”

The desire of New Hope’s Board of Deacons is to serve the Lord in such a capacity that the Session (Elder's) may focus their gifts and talents in the spiritual well being and growth of the congregation.