DEACON NOMINATIONS
The Prospective Deacon Interview Committee is preparing to receive nominations and interview prospective new and returning deacons for the 2024 calendar year. The committee asks for intentional fervent prayer to be made as our members seek God' s guidance for men who could represent our Lord and serve under the leadership of our Pastor at Porter First Baptist as deacons next year.
If you know a man who meets the spiritual qualifications outlined below and who will commit to faithful service, you are invited to submit his name by Sunday, March 3, for consideration by the committee.
The following timetable for the nomination process has been established to allow time for the election,
ordination, and training of new deacons:
Those men recommended will be sent a questionnaire in mid-March.
Deacon candidates will be interviewed March and April.
The Deacon’s will recommend for approval of the church a list of men in late April.
The newly elected deacons will start training in May and begin serving in May.
To serve the Lord Jesus in the office of deacon at Porter First Baptist is, at the same time, a great honor,
and a great responsibility. The very word "deacon" means servant. This does not demean or lower an individual. To the contrary
Jesus said, "And whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave" (Matthew 20:27). Service exalts.
INDIVIDUAL QUALIFICATIONS
The office of deacon is an office for service to Christ through the church. Any other concept does injustice to the New Testament record (Acts 6 and I Timothy 3). It is not a position or office given to a person to honor him. It is a call to lead by serving the body of Christ and meeting needs of others. To qualify for the office of deacon in Porter First Baptist, a member:
1. Must have been a member of Porter First Baptist for at least one year, 1 Timothy 3:10.
2. Shall give evidence of a Spirit filled life, Ephesians 5:18.
3. Shall be elected by the church, Acts 6:3.
4. Shall set a high standard of separate Christian living; for example, he shall not drink alcoholic beverages, smoke, or attend questionable places of amusement, I Timothy 4:12.
5. Shall believe in the practice of “storehouse tithing,” Malachi 3:10.
6. Shall not be a gossiper, I Timothy3:8.
7. Shall have compassion for the lost, and seek in his living and speech to win them to the Lord Jesus Christ, I Timothy 3:13.
8. A single man shall be eligible for consideration.
9. Must believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God, without error, the source of authority for precept and practice, 2 Timothy 3:16.
10. Must believe in salvation by grace, through faith, based on substitutionary death of Christ for sinners, John 3:16.
11. Must rule his children and his own house well, I Timothy 3:12.
SERVICE
Because he is a leader, as well as a servant, he should be active, faithful in support of all major areas of church life. (Hebrews 10:25)
2. A deacon should believe the great doctrines of the church, as set forth in the Word of God and the Baptist Faith and Message (adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention June 14, 2000).
3. The deacon is one who is to help create and preserve harmony in the church. He should be able to have and to maintain the reputation of keeping in confidence those things which should not be discussed openly. He should be wise and discreet. (Proverbs 6:19; James 3:5)
4. He should see that his duty is to lift the hands of the Pastor and to work positively and with loyalty under the Pastor's leadership. He is to free the Pastor to do the work to which God has called the Pastor to do. (Acts 6:2-4; 1 Peter 5:1-4)
Recommendation For Deacon
Note: Please do not recommend any man until you have secured his permission to submit this form. So doing will accelerate the process and possibly save some embarrassment. You may recommend as many men as you feel are qualified to lead this church as a deacon. Please complete the form below for each recommendation. A recommendation does not guarantee they will be presented for election before the congregation. This will happen only after the Deacon Screening Team has evaluated questionnaires and conducted personal interviews and the entire Deacon body has recommended them to the church.