2018 Portland Avenue Online Deacon Nominations

• As a member of Portland Avenue Baptist Church you are being asked to prayerfully nominate up to four men from our church  membership as deacon candidates.
• Below you will find the qualifications of a deacon as adopted by our church. Please read these qualifications carefully before you make any nominations. Those nominated must meet the qualifications as set forth by the church. Deacon nomination is not a popularity contest, but a choice that should not be made lightly or without prayer. 

Deacon Qualifications as interpreted by Portland Avenue Baptist Church

• The deacon shall be a scripturally born-again and baptized believer.  He is a sinner saved by grace and must have no known unconfessed sin in his life (Eph. 2:8-9, John 3:16, Rom. 10:9-10, 1 John 1:9).
• The deacon shall be a man of blameless character (1 Tim. 3:2, 10). He is to be above reproach, which has the meaning of, “not able to be held.” There is nothing to accuse him with. He is to be an example for the church to follow. 
• The deacon shall be a man of dignity and reverence (1 Tim. 3:8). He understands the seriousness of life and can be serious minded without being a cold, joyless or silly person. The deacon shall constantly strive to keep his heart in tune with the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ by having a daily devotional life, which involves regular reading and meditation in the Word of God and prayer (Ps. 119; Acts 6:3).
• The deacon shall be a man whose speech is marked by integrity, consistency, and honesty. The Bible says he is to be, “not double-tongued” (1 Tim. 3:8). He is not to be a gossip or hypocritical in his speech. For example, the use of profanity will lessen his effectiveness with church members, and harm his witness to the lost.
• The deacon shall abstain from the use of alcoholic beverages and other addictive substances. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 3:8 that the deacon must be, “not given to much wine.” This word has the idea of “addicted to” or “to occupy oneself with.” Because alcohol is such a negative influence in society today, it is best for the deacon to avoid any chance of harming a weaker brother (Rom. 14:21). 
• The deacon shall be a good steward of his time, talents, and money (1 Tim. 3:8). He should tithe on his income and give to special offerings as led.  He should keep material things in their proper perspective. He should regularly attend the services, activities, and be involved in at least one ministry of the church and encourage the involvement of others. He should yield all his talents to the Lord and cultivate them for the Savior’s use.
• The deacon shall “hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience” (1 Tim. 3:9). The deacon verbally and intellectually affirms without reservation the basic truths of the Christian faith, and lives them out in his life (Baptist Faith and Message 2000).
• The deacon is to be a well-equipped soul winner who desires to build relationships and share the gospel with the unchurched. He should participate in the outreach and evangelism of the church and be available to equip others in sharing the gospel (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
• The deacon shall first be tested before serving (1 Tim. 3:10). New deacons-in-training should be tested by observation and instruction before serving. However, “tested” in 1 Timothy 3:10, means an ongoing evaluation of service by the church. The deacon should also “test” his own heart and service from time-to-time.
• The deacon who is married will understand his wife is a supportive part of his ministry team. 1 Timothy 3:11 says the wives of deacons shall be serious minded, careful in their speech especially gossip, self-controlled, and faithful in all things. Deacons shall strive to involve their wives regularly in their ministry as a deacon. 
• The deacon who is married shall be a devoted and faithful husband (1 Tim. 3:12) “husband of one wife.” The Greek language in this verse calls him to be “a one-woman man.” He is not to be a “flirt” toward other women, but to treat other women with the highest honor and respect. Although “husband of one wife” touches on whether a man has been previously married, there are instances where a man may qualify to be a deacon if his divorce occurred according to biblical reasons of fornication and desertion of a mate (Matt. 19:9; 1 Cor. 7:15). Divorce and remarriage is not an unpardonable sin.
• The deacon with children living at home is to manage his children and household well (1 Tim. 3:12). He is to strive to lead his children to salvation, and his family in devotions, worship, and service.  
• The deacon shall: (1) pray and encourage the pastor and staff and their families;  (2) help the pastor project the vision and ministry of the church; (3) protect the pastor and staff and their families; (4) provide adequate financial support for the pastor and staff; (5) be available to provide counsel to the pastor.
• The deacon shall recognize that the office of deacon is not an honorary title, but is a sacred trust.  He is to be deeply aware that God will judge us according to our faithfulness.  If for any reason the deacon fails to live up to the scriptural qualifications for a deacon as interpreted by the Portland Avenue Baptist Church, he is to voluntarily resign from the serving deacon body.  If for any reason of health or other complications the serving deacon cannot fulfill his responsibilities, he should ask to be moved from serving deacon to supportive deacon.

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Currently Serving Portland Avenue Deacons

​Laban Jones—Chairman
Phil Tritten—Chairman Elect
Eddie Lombard—Secretary
DeWayne Douglas
Alvin Emmons
Robert Kielhorn
Joshua Kinney
Bernie Martens
Jerry Pooler
Randy Reeves
Bill Thompson

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