October 25th Congregational Meeting: Details on Deacons & Meet Your Candidates
Dear City Church,
As you may know, over the last nine months, City Church has undertaken a process of identifying, nominating, and training deacons to serve our church. The Session has tested and approved two men as eligible candidates for the office of deacon: Stephen Day and Seth Huffman. We will hold a congregational meeting immediately following our worship service at Grace Covenant on October 25, 2020, so that the congregation can elect deacons from among these candidates. The election will be held by anonymous paper ballot, and each deacon candidate will be elected individually. All communing members of City Church are eligible to vote.
Over the next five weeks please pray for these men and for this process at City Church. Also, talk to the deacon candidates: ask them questions about their desire to serve the church, encourage them as they prepare for this office, raise any concerns you might have about their fitness for leadership and service. To help introduce these men to you we’ve put together a brief biographical sketch of each—you can read those below.
If you have any questions, please feel free to talk to any of the City Church elders. We realize that some of this congregational meeting business may be foreign to you, but we want to make it as simple and transparent as possible. These meetings are one of the important ways that you demonstrate what it means to be the Church in and for the city of Richmond.
In Christ,
The City Church Session
2020 Deacon Candidates
Stephen Day and his wife, Sarah, have been members of City Church for five years. Stephen is the director of the VCU Center for Economic Education, which means that he spends his days doing research and teaching (K-12) teachers how to teach economics. Stephen is from West Lafayette, Indiana, and he spent the first part of his adult life teaching high school social studies in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was here that he met Sarah, who was new in town and teaching Art History at NC State. When he isn't taking care of his four very active children (Daisy, Calvin, Robbie, Lucy), he likes to play soccer or even go skateboarding—quite a feat at his advanced age. When not in coronavirus lockdown, you may find him working at one of Richmond's many fine coffee shops.
Seth Huffman has been a member of City Church for five years, along with his wife, Lauren. He works in Fraud Operations for Mission Lane, LLC, a fin-tech company based in Richmond/San Francisco. Seth and Lauren have two kids (Emmy and Miles), one dog (Callie), and zero cats. He enjoys biking as much as he can, long family walks around RVA, and everything at Shyndigz. Seth is grateful for City Church and the ways the Gospel brings new hope each day.
Additional Information
What is a deacon?
A deacon is a member of the church called by God and set apart as a servant in the church (see Acts 6:1-7). Deacons at City Church will be responsible for assisting in financial issues and addressing practical needs in the church and the community. The current deacons at City Church are Alex Brito, David Boyce, Barrett Clark, Eric Morgan, Carter Neal, and David Perks. We also have a team of diaconal assistants comprised of men and women who help the deacons in their work.
In the PCA both elder and deacon positions are limited to men. This limitation is based on the Bible’s teaching on the roles of church leadership, particularly through passages like 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. There is no set number of elders or deacons required for a church. The number of elders and deacons is determined by the congregation and depends on who demonstrates the character, competency, and calling to serve.
Select passages from the PCA’s Book of Church Order
9-1. The office of deacon is set forth in the Scriptures as ordinary and perpetual in the Church. The office is one of sympathy and service, after the example of the Lord Jesus; it expresses also the communion of saints, especially in their helping one another in time of need.
9-2. It is the duty of the deacons to minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress. It is their duty also to develop the grace of liberality in the members of the church, to devise effective methods of collecting the gifts of the people, and to distribute these gifts among the objects to which they are contributed. They shall have the care of the property of the congregation, both real and personal, and shall keep in proper repair the church edifice and other buildings belonging to the congregation. In matters of special importance affecting the property of the church, they cannot take final action without the approval of the Session and consent of the congregation.
In the discharge of their duties the deacons are under the supervision and authority of the Session. In a church in which it is impossible for any reason to secure deacons, the duties of the office shall devolve upon the ruling elders.
9-3. To the office of deacon, which is spiritual in nature, shall be chosen men of spiritual character, honest repute, exemplary lives, brotherly spirit, warm sympathies, and sound judgment.
9-7. It is often expedient that the Session of a church should select and appoint godly men and women of the congregation to assist the deacons in caring for the sick, the widows, the orphans, the prisoners, and others who may be in any distress or need.
Biblical Passages
Acts 6:1-7
1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
1 Timothy 3:8-13
8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.