Chapter 9 : The Deacon

Paragraph 7 : Of Diaconal Assistants

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.

HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
The current PCA text, with the inclusion of "men and " after "appoint godly", dates to 1974. The influence of the Southern BCO on other denominations is shown in the Cumberland Presbyterian text.

ANTECEDENT TEXTS:
PCA 1973, Adopted text, as printed in the Minutes of General Assembly, p. 132
and
Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, 10-7, Proposed text, p. 10
It is often expedient that the Session of a church should select and appoint godly 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.

PCUS 1933, XI, § 50
PCUS 1925, XI, § 50
It is often expedient that the Session of a church should select and appoint godly women of the congregation to assist the Deacons in ministering to the sick, to widows, to orphans, to prisoners, and to others who may be in any distress or need. They may also aid the Deacons in collecting and distributing the offerings of the people.

PCUS 1879, IV-4-6
Where it shall appear needful, the Church Session may select and appoint godly women for the care of the sick, of prisoners, of poor widows and orphans, and in general for the relief of distress.”

PCUS 1869 draft, IV-4-6
Where it shall appear needful, the Church-session may select and appoint godly women for the care of the sick, of prisoners, of poor widows and orphans, and in general for the relief of distress.

PCUS 1867 draft, IV-4-6
The New Testament authorizes the employment of godly women in the diaconal function. Wherefore it is proper, where it shall appear needful, that the church-session select and appoint deaconesses, for the care of the sick, of prisoners, of poor widows and orphans, and in general for the relief of distress.

OTHER COMPARISONS:
Cumberland Presbyterian, 1883, §23
Where it appears needful, the Church-session may appoint godly women for the care of the sick, of prisoners, of poor widows and orphans, and in general for relief of distress.

COMMENTARY:
F.P. Ramsay, Exposition of the Book of Church Order (1898, p. 62), on IV-4-6
51.--VI. Where is shall appear needful, the Church Session may select, and appoint godly women for the care of the sick, of prisoners, of poor widows and orphans, and in general for the relief of distress.
These differ from the male Deacons in the fact that they are not selected by the congregation, and in the fact that they do not have charge of distribution generally. It would save much to the credit of the Church, and promote greatly the efficiency of its beneficent work, if this paragraph were put into general execution, so that what is done would appear to be done by the Church, as it really is, and would be done with fuller counsel and supervision.