Reading: The Influence of a Smart Deacon: Standing, Multiplication, and the Spread of Christianity

The Influence of a Smart Deacon: Standing, Multiplication, and the Spread of Christianity

Introduction: The Deacon’s Strategic Position of Influence

The office of deacon is often associated with service, humility, and the meeting of practical needs within the body of Christ. From its inception in Acts 6, the deaconate has carried a reputation for hands-on ministry, tending to the vulnerable and ensuring that no member of the community is neglected. Yet beneath this servant-oriented role lies a profound dimension of influence that is sometimes overlooked. Far from being a position of low visibility or mere logistical support, the office of deacon holds a strategic role in shaping the health, direction, and witness of the church.

The Apostle Paul underscores this reality in 1 Timothy 3:13, declaring that “those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.” This promise reveals that faithful deaconal service results in more than the satisfaction of duties; it yields lasting credibility and authority within the community of believers. Importantly, this “excellent standing” is not synonymous with institutional power or hierarchical dominance. Deacons are not lords over the church, nor are they ecclesiastical politicians seeking office. Rather, their standing is relational credibility, spiritual authority, and communal trust earned over time through faithful and sacrificial service.

Such influence, though informal, is deeply powerful. Deacons who consistently embody integrity, compassion, and discernment become touchstones of stability in their congregations. Their voices carry weight in times of decision-making, and their example inspires others to serve with the same selflessness. In this sense, the influence of a deacon is generative: it multiplies leaders by modeling servant-leadership, and it accelerates the spread of Christianity by demonstrating the gospel in action. Faithful deacons become catalysts, turning individual acts of service into ripples of influence that extend outward into families, congregations, and entire communities.

Historically, this dynamic has been evident throughout the church’s story. In the early centuries, deacons not only distributed food to widows and orphans but also managed charitable works, assisted in baptisms, cared for the sick, and even carried messages between congregations and bishops. Their quiet faithfulness won them excellent standing in the eyes of both the church and the watching world. The multiplication effect was unmistakable: needs were met, leaders were raised, and the credibility of the Christian movement grew.

In this light, the deacon’s role should be understood as both servant and influencer. Their service is the soil in which influence takes root, and their influence is the fruit that multiplies the mission of the church. To view the office of deacon only through the lens of service is to miss its strategic potential. Properly embraced, the deaconate is a vital mechanism for multiplying leaders, preserving unity, and expanding the witness of Christ in a world desperate for authentic expressions of love and care.

Influence as Excellent Standing

The phrase “excellent standing” (1 Timothy 3:13) can be understood as a form of elevated credibility, a status that does not come through electioneering, titles, or self-promotion but through the slow, steady accumulation of trust. It is not something seized but something earned—through consistent acts of service, integrity of character, and perseverance in trials. In this sense, a “smart deacon” is one who understands that influence is not the product of ambition but the natural fruit of faithfulness.

Members of the community instinctively look to such individuals for guidance, wisdom, and discernment, not because of their office alone, but because of the Christlike reliability they embody. Their reputation becomes a kind of moral capital within the church—an intangible but powerful resource that allows them to shape conversations, calm disputes, and inspire confidence. Unlike formal authority, which can be granted in a moment, this kind of credibility is forged over years of selfless service and tested in seasons of hardship.

This influence, crucially, is not about seeking control but about earning trust. The testimony of long-serving deacons such as Hubert (“Honky”) illustrates this reality well. Though he bore a nickname that might have diminished others, he carried it with such grace and humility that it ceased to have any sting. Known throughout his community for riding his bicycle with a cowboy hat and stopping to help anyone in need, Hubert gained a standing that neither position nor wealth could buy. His service built a reservoir of credibility that pastors and members alike relied upon. When difficult decisions arose, his quiet counsel carried decisive weight. His influence was not coercive but persuasive, grounded not in politics or pressure but in faithfulness.

In this sense, the deacon’s influence parallels the biblical notion of wisdom. Proverbs 22:1 declares, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” The excellent standing of a deacon is precisely this good name—a reputation shaped by righteousness and reliability. Such influence extends beyond the congregation into the wider community, where faithful deacons often become recognized as trustworthy voices and living testimonies of Christ’s love.

Theologically, this points to a deeper truth: influence is a form of stewardship. A deacon who gains excellent standing is entrusted with the capacity to shape the life of the church and the witness of the gospel. Like all stewardship, this influence must be exercised with humility and accountability. When stewarded well, it multiplies leaders, strengthens congregations, and accelerates mission. When abused, it diminishes credibility and undermines trust.

Thus, the smart deacon recognizes influence not as a personal prize but as a communal trust. Their standing serves not their own advancement but the multiplication of the church’s ministry. Through reliability, faithfulness, and quiet strength, they embody the paradox of Christian leadership: the more one seeks to serve, the more one is granted influence; the more one avoids power for its own sake, the more powerfully one shapes the life of the church.

Multiplication Through Influence

The influence of a deacon multiplies on several levels:

1. Multiplication of Leaders. When deacons serve well, their example inspires others to imitate their service. They model what it looks like to embody Jesus’ servanthood, thereby cultivating future leaders. Just as Acts 6 records the apostles appointing seven men to oversee a new ministry of food distribution, deacons today expand the leadership base by creating and sustaining ministries that respond to emerging needs.
2. Multiplication of Assurance. Paul’s promise that deacons gain “great assurance” reflects not only personal confidence in Christ but also a communal strengthening of faith. As deacons witness God meeting needs through their service, their assurance becomes contagious. Boldness grows, and the congregation as a whole is emboldened to trust God more fully.
3. Multiplication of Mission. Faithful service prevents pastoral burnout, preserves unity, and channels resources toward outward-facing ministries. The church becomes healthier and more mission-focused, resulting in the spread of the gospel. Historical and contemporary examples confirm that communities are often drawn to Christianity not first by preaching but by observable acts of compassion.

Influence Tested by Spiritual Warfare

With influence comes responsibility, and with responsibility comes opposition. Scripture consistently portrays spiritual leadership as contested ground. The very influence that makes deacons catalysts for multiplication in the church also makes them prime targets for the enemy. The transcript rightly underscores this reality: leaders, including deacons, become the focus of intensified spiritual attack. The adversary knows that by discrediting or discouraging those in positions of trust, he can sow confusion, weaken unity, and hinder the advance of the gospel.

The enemy aims his sharpest assaults at those whose standing threatens the kingdom of darkness. This dynamic echoes the sniper imagery from the American Civil War, where officers were deliberately targeted to disrupt the entire unit. In the same way, spiritual leaders are singled out precisely because their fall carries multiplied consequences. A discouraged or compromised deacon does not suffer alone; their influence reverberates through the church, undermining morale, discouraging service, and clouding the church’s witness.

This is why Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 6 is so critical: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). Deacons, who regularly stand in the gap for others, must be especially vigilant in equipping themselves with truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. Their influence is both a blessing and a vulnerability—an elevated standing that draws admiration from the community but also fire from the enemy. Smart deacons recognize that their ministry involves not only visible acts of service but also invisible battles against powers and principalities.

Vigilance, prayer, and reliance on the Spirit are essential disciplines for sustaining influence under fire. A deacon clothed in the armor of God resists temptation, weathers criticism, and models perseverance under trial. This resilience multiplies courage in the congregation. When members see leaders who remain steadfast despite opposition, their own faith is strengthened, and the body as a whole is emboldened. In this way, even the testing of influence becomes a catalyst for multiplication.

Yet, the danger of neglecting spiritual warfare is real. Without awareness of the enemy’s schemes, deacons may mistake spiritual attack for mere circumstance, or worse, become ensnared by pride, discouragement, or compromise. Smart deacons prepare not only by serving faithfully but by anticipating resistance. They study the enemy’s tactics, much like General Patton in the Second World War, who defeated Rommel by knowing his playbook. Likewise, deacons must root themselves in Scripture and prayer, learning to discern and counter lies with truth.

The ultimate encouragement is this: while influence makes deacons a target, they do not stand alone. “Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The armor of God, the prayers of the saints, and the indwelling Spirit secure their standing. In the paradox of the kingdom, the very testing of influence through spiritual warfare strengthens faith, sharpens vigilance, and multiplies leaders who are battle-tested and Spirit-filled.

Influence Without Power-Seeking

One of the most critical features of smart deaconal influence is that it is never sought for its own sake. Influence divorced from service quickly deteriorates into manipulation, self-promotion, or factionalism—all of which undermine the unity of the church. By contrast, influence that grows organically out of humility, faithfulness, and love reflects the very character of Christ. Jesus himself declared, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). This Christ-shaped pattern sets the trajectory for every deacon: influence is not a goal to be achieved but a byproduct of obedience to the way of the cross.

In this light, the paradox of deaconal influence becomes clear. The more deacons renounce power, the more they actually gain standing; the more they choose to serve in hidden and sacrificial ways, the more their influence multiplies. This paradox mirrors Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 23:11–12: “The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” The exaltation here is not institutional authority but relational credibility and spiritual weight, which cannot be manufactured but must be received.

History offers vivid illustrations of this principle. The early church deacon Lawrence of Rome, martyred in 258 AD, became legendary not because he wielded power but because he refused to hoard the church’s treasures for the empire and instead gave them to the poor. When asked to present the “treasures of the church,” he pointed to widows, orphans, and the marginalized, declaring, “These are the church’s treasures.” His refusal to seek influence for himself made him one of the most influential deacons in history, inspiring countless Christians across centuries to serve with courage and humility. His story illustrates how renouncing worldly power can paradoxically multiply the church’s witness.

Practically, this posture protects the church from personality-driven leadership and ensures that influence is exercised in ways that build rather than fracture community. Smart deacons become multipliers precisely because their influence is rooted in service rather than ambition. Their example inspires others to serve, creating a ripple effect of leaders who learn that the path to spiritual authority is paved with towels and basins, not thrones and titles.

This dynamic is essential for the multiplication of leaders and ministries in the church today. When influence is sought for its own sake, it narrows into control and diminishes participation. But when influence is modeled through humility, others are emboldened to step forward, confident that leadership in the church is not about status but about service. In this way, smart deacons multiply leaders, strengthen the body, and expand the witness of the gospel—not by grasping for power but by quietly embodying the self-giving love of Christ.

Conclusion: Influence as a Multiplier of Christianity

The influence of a deacon is not measured by office or title but by standing in the eyes of the community and assurance in the presence of Christ. This influence is catalytic, multiplying leaders, multiplying faith, and multiplying mission. Faithful deacons expand the capacity of the church to respond to needs, preserve unity, support pastors, and pioneer new ministries. Their influence spreads Christianity not through domination but through example—through the credibility of lives lived in service.

In this way, the “smart deacon” becomes an indispensable multiplier of the gospel. As deacons gain excellent standing, they amplify the reach of the church, inspire others to serve, and fortify the witness of Christ in the world. Their influence, far from being incidental, is central to the multiplication of leaders and the advancement of Christianity.