What are Deacons?
There is no specification of the function of deacons, although Scripture indicates they are different than elders. The word deacon is a translation of the Greek word diakonos which generally meant "servant". In relation to the church officers, the New Testament pattern was for deacons to take on the role of servant within the local body, assisting in the overall needs of the ministry and providing care for specific people or groups as needed.

Qualifications and Duties of Deacons:
The qualifications for holding the office of deacon are discussed in detail in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. This passage also makes inferences to some particular duties of the deacons, from caring for the finances of the church to taking on other administrative responsibilities within the church. A form of the word diakonos is used in Acts 6:1-6 when the apostles who were overseeing the church in Jerusalem delegated the responsibility to care for the needs of a group of women over to a group of seven men. It seems appropriate to think of these men as deacons, although that title had probably not yet been made official.