Our church is thinking about electing women deacons. But some members claim this is another example of contemporary liberalism taking over our theology. Is this so?
Changing a church’s polity always is a challenge. My best advice is to encourage your church to do a biblical study of the role of deacon. Don’t just read what others have written about what the Bible says, but as a church read those passages together. Take a look at all the verses that deal with deacons. Discuss their tasks and qualifications. Read the Apostle Paul’s instructions on deacons in light of the context and spirit in which he wrote. Ask those in your congregation who have knowledge of Greek to investigate the passages.
Once you have examined the biblical passages, have church members read books, articles and Bible studies about deacons. You will find there are many different views about what the Bible says and many different translations of specific words in the deacon passages. Try to find writers who have different perspectives about the service of women as deacons so that you can weigh the arguments.
For example, 1 Timothy 3:11 is interpreted by some to mean “wives of deacons” and is interpreted by others as “women deacons.” Some believe Paul’s mention of Phoebe in Romans 16:1 is in reference to her service as a deacon or a minister. Others translate this word as servant. Interestingly enough, some conservative scholars believe there is a biblical basis for women deacons.
Your congregation also should read some church history. Gather information about practices of the early church. Historical evidence indicates some women served in leadership roles in the first and second centuries, including in the role of deacon. A few centuries later, the church formalized church offices, and women deacons no longer were found much in the pages of history.
Documents from the first Baptist church, founded in 1609 by John Smyth and Thomas Helwys, indicate they favored women deacons. Smyth wrote that the church had the power to elect and ordain deacons, both men and women. But for most of our history, Baptist women rarely have served as deacons. A shift occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, and some Baptist churches began to ordain women as deacons.
Over the past 400 years, Baptists have had a variety of looks when it comes to church leadership. Official church leadership titles, assigned tasks and ordination policies have changed and changed back and changed again. Some of these shifts can be traced to different biblical interpretations. Other shifts have grown out of a desire to be relevant as a community of faith. The beauty of Baptist polity is that each local church, including your church, has the privilege and the responsibility of reading and interpreting Scripture and then living out the gospel under the leadership of the Spirit.
Pamela B. Durso is executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry, based in Atlanta. Right or Wrong? is sponsored by the T.B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics at Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon School of Theology. Contributors include Baptists in Virginia, Texas, Missouri and other states. Send your questions about how to apply your faith to [email protected].