9-5. Deacons may properly be appointed by the higher courts to serve on committees, especially as treasurers. It is suitable also that they be appointed trustees of any fund held by any of the Church courts. It may also be helpful for the Church courts, when devising plans of church finance, to invite wise and consecrated deacons to their councils.

HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
The current PCA text dates to 1922, with changes made that year to chapter 9 of the PCUS BCO (Cf. PCUS Minutes of General Assembly, 1922, p. 73). The only noted difference is that "deacons" is not capitalized in the current text.

BACKGROUND & COMPARISON:
1. PCA 1973, 10-5, Adopted text, as printed in the Minutes of General Assembly, p. 132
2. Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, 10-5, Proposed text, p. 10
and
3. PCUS 1933, XI, § 48
4. PCUS 1925, XI, 48
Deacons may properly be appointed by the higher courts to serve on committees, especially as treasurers. It is suitable also that they be appointed trustees of any fund held by any of the Church courts. It may also be helpful for the Church courts, when devising plans of church finance, to invite wise and consecrated Deacons to their counsels.

No comparable text in these editions:
1. PCUS 1879, IV-4
2. PCUS 1869 draft, IV-4
3. PCUS 1867 draft, IV-4

COMMENTARY :
F.P. Ramsay, Exposition of the Book of Church Order (1898) :
[no comparable text in this section of Ramsay's exposition]

Edward Mack, The Office of the Deacon. [Richmond, VA: Presbyterian Committee of Publication, revised, 1929, pp. 35-36.]
Chapter VII. The Deacon in Relation to the Church at Large.
Deacons may properly be appointed by the higher courts to serve on committees, especially as treasurers. It is suitable also that they be appointed trustees of any fund held by any of the Church courts. It may also be helpful for the Church courts, when devising plans of church finance, to invite wise and consecrated Deacons to their counsels.
In this paragraph it is contemplated that this office now so widened and dignified may henceforth be used in the larger and more general activities of the Church. Finding men of the Barnabas spirit and stature, the Church proposes to use them in its great enterprises. Many great-hearted and large-minded men of affairs have been serving in the office of Deacons. Let us expect that the new emphasis put upon the office will be a call to them to consecrate their tlaents in yet wider spheres to the cause of the Gospel, in this official way, as many are now doing through laymen's organizations and in other groups of Christian men.
Often there is need for such men in the counsels and financial work of Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly. This paragraph authorizes their appointment by the Higher Courts as members of their committees, when they are concerned with matters falling within the sphere of the Deacon's service. This may have been done heretofore in isolated and informal cases. It now becomes a matter of regular procedure, and offers another challenge to our strong men to devote themselves to service for Christ in channels where their talents may flow so well and strong.