Job Description

By the grace of God, deacons, as volunteer church officers, glorify the Lord and serve His church by modeling the application of the gospel of Jesus Christ into the daily activities of life as husbands, fathers, and brothers in Christ. They perform various tasks and participate in ministries designed to care for and unify the people of God and also care for the facilities of the church for the purpose of freeing the pastoral staff to focus on prayer, the ministry of the Word of God, and the spreading of the gospel (Acts 6:1-6; Phi 1:1; 1Ti 3:8-13). They are committed to the Great Commandment (Mark 12:28-31) and the Great Commission (Mat 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-15).

Typically, the deacons meet monthly/semi-monthly with one of the pastors to review various ministries of the church.

The deacons of Berean must meet all the biblical qualifications as outlined in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 and subscribe to the church covenant and to each of the Articles of Faith. Berean uses a questionnaire to begin the interview and application process (see below) to become a deacon; church members are encouraged to review the questionnaire to gain a better understanding of the expectations of a deacon at Berean.

Duties and Responsibilities

Pray for the pastoral staff, the sick and unconverted daily
Actively promote and support the church and its ministries
Consistently attend and participate in a Sunday school class
Assist in preparing and serving the Lord’s Supper
Serve as an usher when needed
Attend monthly deacon prayer meetings at 5 pm on the second Sunday of each month (unless out of town or ill)
Share the gospel with friends, workers, neighbors and others
Assist in locking up the building after services on a rotational basis
Assist in visiting shut-ins or members in the hospital as needed
Attend deacon meetings and beneficial training unless providentially hindered
Actively participate in the men’s ministry
Assist in church discipline cases as outlined in the church constitution as needed
Willingly and joyfully give no less than 10% of your gross combined household income to the church in a verifiable way
Provide feedback and advice to the pastor on projects, staffing, direction and the vision of the church and all its ministries
Go out of your way to assist in greeting and welcoming guests and visitors to the church
Oversee the distribution of the benevolence fund and execute the distribution of food baskets to church members during Thanksgiving and Christmas

How Deacons Are Chosen

The purpose of the following paragraphs is to explain the mechanics of how men come to serve as deacons at Berean Baptist Church. (Many churches do it differently.) Once or twice a year, a request is made to the congregation to nominate men to serve as deacons. Candidates must be men who have already shown they have a servant’s heart and meet the biblical qualifications of a deacon (1Ti 3:8-13). These names are submitted on a note during the offering or turned in to one of the current deacons. The names are collected by the deacons, and the pastors review the list. In those cases where a candidate has previously communicated a disqualifier to a pastor, he is not sent an invitation. All other candidates are mailed an invitation to download a deacon questionnaire from this webpage and return it by a specific date.

Once the candidate returns his questionnaire to a pastor or deacon, it is first reviewed by the pastors and then the deacon board. If the deacons and pastors are supportive of the recommendations from the congregation, the candidates’ names are presented for a vote on a secret ballot. (If there is an issue with a candidate, the pastors and deacons will collectively discuss the issue and come to an agreement on the best course of action on a case-by-case basis.) Normally, the church will be notified of who is being presented for a vote about two weeks before the members’ meeting in which the vote will take place. Members may vote “Yes” or “No” on as many or as few candidates as they choose. After the church votes, the deacons collect the ballots and tally the results. Candidates must receive an affirmative vote from the majority of the ballots that are turned in from the members at the members meeting (i.e. if 100 ballots are collected by the deacons, a candidate must receive 51 “Yes” votes to be approved). The chairman of the deacons will oversee the tallying of the results. The church clerk is responsible for ensuring the results of the vote are recorded in the minutes for the members’ meeting. The chairman of deacons or church clerk will notify the church of the results of the vote by percentage at the members’ meeting.

A deacon’s term of service is three years. After a year of Sabbath, former deacons may be nominated again for a subsequent 3-year term of service. The BBC Constitution does not limit the number of men who can serve as deacons. Every effort is made to allow an opportunity for all who have the desire to serve and meet the qualifications to serve the body of Christ. Candidates who have not been ordained as a deacon by the church will be ordained on a subsequent Sunday night service. The board of deacons nominates and approves its own leaders annually.

Interested In Becoming A Deacon?

OUR CURRENT DEACONS:

Travis Banker

Travis has served in the United States Air Force since 2011. He married Tabitha in 2004 and they have five children. Their family began attending Berean in 2020. Travis and Tabitha both serve in the nursery and teach children’s Sunday School. Travis is also one of our camera operators.

Tom Baughan

Tom and Michelle have been active members of Berean since 2002. They have four adult children and 8 grandchildren. Tom works as a nurse anesthetist at Womack Army Medical Center and has helped with the delivery of many of the children who have attended Berean! Tom served many years previously as a deacon and has always been prepared to help the ministry with any need. Michelle serves as a Sunday School teacher and on the Ladies Ministry Team.

Jeremy Berry

Jeremy has served in the United States Army since 2004. He and Courtney have been married since 2006 and they have four boys. They joined Berean in 2017 and then again in 2022 after a short PCS to Florida. Jeremy and Courtney both serve in the AWANA ministry and Courtney serves in the children’s ministry.

Keith Campbell

Keith and Jenna began attending Berean in 2021 after God moved them to the Fayetteville area. Keith has served as the Middle School Bible teacher for Berean Academy since 2022. He and Jenna have been married since 2016 and together have five children. Keith currently serves in Power Hour, media ministry, and the Making Disciples ministry. Jenna serves in the nursery.

William Chavis

William served in the United States Marines for 5 years and currently works for H&H Lawncare. He and Kayla were married in 2009 and they have three children. Their family first attended Berean in 2013 before moving to Florida. They returned to Berean in 2020. William and Kayla are both active in our AWANA ministry and Kayla serves on our ladies’ ministry team and in the nursery.

Ryan Davis

Ryan is a Florida native who has lived in Fayetteville since 2005. He has been a member of Berean since 2018 and currently serves in the Greeter ministry. His wife, Jamie, is the principal of the BBA Middle School and has served for many years in the choir. Ryan is a security officer at Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant in New Hill, NC. He and his wife, Jamie, have been married since 2020.

Kyle Fera

Kyle is an Independent Insurance Agent with Callahan & Rice Insurance Group. He and Emily have been married since 2012 and have three girls. Emily homeschools the girls. They joined Berean in 2022. Kyle serves as a 5^th Grade SS Teacher and Emily serves in the nursery.

Sean Gordon

Sean has worked for State Farm since 2020. He married Samantha in 2017 and they have four children. They began attending Berean in July 2020. On Sunday mornings you can spot them in the choir loft. On Wednesday nights they serve in our CrossFire Youth Group.

Lyn Johnson

Lyn retired from General Motors in 2004 after 32yrs and retired ‘again’ from John Deere in 2019. He and Donna were married in 1974. They have 2 children and 5 grandchildren. Lyn and Donna began attending Berean in May of 2022. He and Donna serve as greeters and in the nursery ministry.

Mike Perez

Mike retired from the Army after 23 years of service and currently works as a Government Civilian on Fort Liberty. Mike and Deborah were married in 2012 and have five children. Mike and Deborah have been members of the church since 2012. They currently serve in the nursery, AWANA and Power Hour.

Jim Silcox

Jim serves as a doctor in the United States Army. He married Bonnie in 2005 and they have five children. Their family began attending Berean through the AWANA ministry in 2016. Jim has previously served as an AWANA leader and Bonnie serves on the ladies’ ministry team.

Jerry Truong

Jerry has been a resident of Fayetteville since 1996. He joined the Army hoping to never come back. However, after 11 years, he was compelled by a higher authority to settle in Fayetteville. Jerry is a local small business owner. He and Tien have been married since 2009 and together have two daughters. Jerry and Tien began attending Berean in March 2022. He and Tien have served briefly in AWANA and Nursery.

Michael Wood

Michael has served as an active-duty JAG officer since 2010. He and Caitlin were married in 2008 and they have five children. Their family began attending Berean in 2021. They both serve as AWANA leaders.