Deacons and deaconesses of the first-century Christian church taught God’s Word and brought converts into the church. Philip not only conducted an evangelistic meeting; he also conducted a one-on-one Bible study (Acts 8:5–8, 26–40; 21:8). Priscilla, along with her husband Aquila, gave Bible studies to Apollos, “an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures” (Acts 18:24–28). Therefore, it is expected that the deacons and deaconesses of today’s church will teach God’s Word and win converts.
The advantage of having deacons and deaconesses, rather than hired non-members, serve as Bible workers for their local church is that deacons and deaconesses will remain and nurture the new converts; hired Bible workers will eventually leave. Also, because new converts get attached to the Bible workers, when the workers leave, there is the possibility that the converts will eventually leave.
To equip deacons and deaconesses to serve as Bible workers of the church, the pastor should help facilitate their training. He may choose to train them himself or have someone who is currently serving or has previously served as a Bible worker to train them.
For many people, making the initial contact is the most frightening part of the process of giving Bible studies. Some are afraid of talking to people who are struggling with lifestyles that they have never experienced, such as drug addiction, prostitution, and homelessness. To overcome this fear, one must understand that people who are struggling with these issues are experiencing the same human emotions that all humans experience when struggling with any issue. The issues may be different, and the way people deal with their emotions is different, but the emotions are the same. Therefore, when trying to witness to or enroll people in Bible studies, deacons and deaconesses should use their personal testimony to make an emotional connection with their potential students. All sinners without Christ are empty, lonely, miserable, hopeless, sad, etc. Everyone has experienced these emotions, regardless of his or her lifestyle. As Bible workers, deacons and deaconesses are to help those with whom they come in contact to understand that only Jesus can heal their damaged emotions and fill the void in their lives caused by sin.
Here is an example of a personal testimony. It is divided into four sections.
Section 1: My life before I met Christ. Before I met Christ, I was empty, lonely, and miserable. I did everything I knew to do to try to fill the void in my life. I tried losing myself in the crowd to forget about who I was, because I didn’t like who I was.
Section 2: How I realized I needed Christ. When everything I tried didn’t work; when the mornings after the late-night parties left me feeling more miserable and less fulfilled; when I recognized that my so-called friends were just using me; and when I was dying inside and feeling hopeless because of unemployment and discouragement, I realized that I needed Christ.
Section 3: How I became a Christian. I read a book written by an entertainer that I admired; surprisingly, he talked about God and faith. This caused me to reflect on my Christian upbringing, so I decided to give God another try. I started praying, reading my Bible, and listening to preaching on the radio. I saw God answering my prayers. I saw my life changing.
Section 4: The difference Christ has made in my life. Now that I have Christ in my life, I am complete. The void has been filled. I have peace, joy, and hope. The search is over. I no longer have to live a sinful life trying to find fulfillment. Jesus has set me free!
As deacons and deaconesses prepare to accept the challenge of serving as Bible workers for their church, they should write out their personal testimony and memorize it. Also, they must learn to adapt their testimony to relate to different situations.
1 Materials in this article were taken from the book written by the author, The Twenty-First Century Deacon and Deaconess: Reflecting the Biblical Model, Huntsville, AL: AVA, 2011).
Vincent E. White, Sr., D.Min., is a retired pastor and author of The Twenty-First Century Deacon and Deaconess: Reflecting the Biblical Model; The Twenty-First Century Deacon and Deaconess: Reflecting the Biblical Model Workbook; and Problem-Solvers and Soul-Winners: A Handbook for Deacons and Deaconesses.
