ABOUT OUR DEACONS

Deacons of First Baptist Church of Universal City

Deacons are men, led by the Spirit of God, who seek and maintain the role as a pattern for men of all ages to emulate, within the church and the community. Additionally, they have the privilege of being a partner with the Pastor in ministry for the mission and purpose of First Baptist Church, Universal City, Texas.

Deacons of FBCUC covenant together to lead people to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and to build on-mission Christians by developing and growing our relationships with each other, those whom we reach, and ultimately with God.

Acts, chapter seven, directed the early church to select from among them men of good reputation, full of the spirit and of wisdom, whom the church could put in charge of the task.

First Timothy set out qualifications, not just applicable to Deacons, but particularly set apart for Deacon men who would serve under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the local pastor.

Qualifications:

• Above reproach
• Husband of one wife, a faithful husband
• Temperate
• Prudent
• Respectable
• Hospitable
• Able to give testimony
• Able to instruct the truths concerning salvation
• Not addicted to wine
• Gentle
• Uncontentious
• Free from the love of money
• Able to manage his own household
• Have a good reputation outside the church
• Men of Faith
• Tried and tested

Process of Becoming a Deacon:

Deacons are nominated by the church body and put through an intense time of spiritual, doctrinal and moral evaluation. Men who qualify are presented to the church body for confirmation, then set apart by the laying on of hands in a public worship gathering.

Responsibilities:

• Deacons will be seen as servants of the church who assist the Pastoral staff, meeting the needs of the congregation.
• Deacons are facilitators of the ministries of the church. Because of this responsibility, you will have many opportunities for ministry that will arise in areas such as hospital visitation, benevolence, assisting our senior saints, and special needs.  The method of notification will vary from Sunday school class, pastoral or office staff but we must be sensitive to each of these needs.  Some will be short term and others will require longer service depending on the need and the Lord’s leading.
• A vital ministry and key outreach arm of the church is our Sunday School presence. To this end, all deacons will serve as a Sunday School deacon.  In this arena we have an important responsibility to sense the perspectives of our families in the church and ultimately the perspective of the church.  This is vital to allow the pastoral staff to make decisions based on facts and perceptions of the church family.  Thus it is incumbent upon each of us to be plugged into our Sunday school class that we are ministering to on a regular basis.  See Attachment 10 for additional guidance.
• Deacons are expected: 1) to be available and participate in the Lord’s Supper ceremony in both services, 2) to coordinate for substitute teachers to cover the duties that normally occur during the non-worship hour, and 3) arrive NLT 10 minutes before the service for check-in and receipt of instructions as required.