Elder vs Deacon in the Presbyterian Church: Roles, Qualifications and Training

In the Presbyterian church, elders oversee, teach and govern the congregation, while deacons lead its ministry of mercy and practical service. The elders meet together as the session, which governs the local church, and the deacons do their work under the session's supervision. Neither office is a step toward the other: they are two distinct callings Christ gives to the same flock, and each needs its own training.

Elder vs deacon at a glance

What does the New Testament say about elders and deacons?

The New Testament names two continuing offices in the local church. Paul greets the church at Philippi "with the overseers and deacons" (Philippians 1:1, ESV), and 1 Timothy 3 gives qualifications first for the overseer (3:1-7), then for deacons (3:8-13).

The elder goes by more than one name. Paul tells Titus to "appoint elders in every town" (Titus 1:5) and two verses later calls the same man an overseer. He reminds the Ephesian elders that the Holy Spirit has made them "overseers, to care for the church of God" (Acts 20:28), and Peter tells elders to "shepherd the flock of God that is among you" (1 Peter 5:2). The PCA says the titles bishop (overseer), pastor (shepherd) and elder "do not indicate different grades of office, but all describe one and the same office" (BCO 8-1).

The deacon's office is traced to Acts 6. When widows were neglected in the daily distribution, the apostles asked the church to "pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom," so that they could "devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:3-4). Luke never calls the seven deacons, but the Westminster Assembly's Form of Presbyterial Church Government (1645) cites this passage for the office, which "belongs not to preach the word, or administer the sacraments, but to take special care in distributing to the necessities of the poor."

What does an elder do?

Elders, "both severally and jointly," are "to watch diligently over the flock committed to his charge, that no corruption of doctrine or of morals enter therein" (PCA BCO 8-3). That means:

• Government and discipline. In the session, elders receive and dismiss members, oversee worship and exercise discipline (PCA BCO 12-5; OPC FG 13.7).
• Shepherding. They visit the people, "especially the sick," instruct the ignorant, comfort the mourning and care for the children of the church (PCA BCO 8-3; OPC FG 10.3).
• Guarding doctrine. An elder must "hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it" (Titus 1:9).
• Prayer. They "should pray with and for the people" (OPC FG 10.3).

What does a deacon do in the Presbyterian church?

The OPC says deacons "are called to show forth the compassion of Christ in a manifold ministry of mercy toward the saints and strangers on behalf of the church" (FG 11.1). The PCA spells out the work (BCO 9-2):

• to minister "to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress";
• to develop "the grace of liberality" in the members, and to collect and distribute their gifts;
• to care for the church's property and buildings.

The PCA calls the office "spiritual in nature" (BCO 9-3), and the OPC's charge at ordination includes "praying with the distressed and reminding them of the consolations of Holy Scripture" (FG 25.6).

Ruling elder vs teaching elder

Presbyterian churches have two kinds of elder. The teaching elder is the minister. The ruling elder is a member of the congregation elected to join him in government. In the PCA's words, "Within the class of elder are the two orders of teaching elders and ruling elders. The elders jointly have the government and spiritual oversight of the Church, including teaching" (BCO 7-2).

Ruling elders "possess the same authority and eligibility to office in the courts of the Church as teaching elders" (BCO 8-10). What belongs to the teaching elder in addition is "to feed the flock by reading, expounding and preaching the Word of God and to administer the Sacraments" (BCO 8-5).

The usual text is 1 Timothy 5:17: "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching." The OPC's charge to a new ruling elder reads it as distinguishing "elders who labor particularly in the Word and in doctrine" from "elders who join with the minister in the government and discipline of the church" (FG 25.6).

Presbyterians describe the relationship in slightly different ways. The PCA speaks of one office of elder in two orders. The OPC speaks of offices given "for the ministry of the Word of God, of rule, and of mercy," and calls ministers those elders called "to labor also in the Word and teaching" (FG 5.3). Both seat the minister and the ruling elders together in the session.

Which is higher, deacon or elder?

If you mean authority, the elders oversee the whole church, the diaconate included. "In the discharge of their duties the deacons are under the supervision and authority of the Session" (PCA BCO 9-2). The OPC uses nearly the same words and adds that the session may require the board "to reconsider any action, or may, if necessary, overrule it" (FG 11.5).

If you mean worth or holiness, the question does not fit. Jesus said, "whoever would be great among you must be your servant" (Mark 10:43), and "those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 3:13). The deacon has a different calling, not a smaller one.

Nor is the diaconate a probation for the eldership. Neither the PCA nor the OPC requires service as a deacon before election as an elder (PCA BCO 24-1; OPC FG 25.3). Some men are gifted for mercy and should stay deacons for life. When a church treats the board of deacons as a waiting room for future elders, the poor tend to wait too.

How do the session and the board of deacons work together?

• A board of their own. The deacons form a board that chooses its own officers (PCA BCO 9-4; OPC FG 11.3).
• Accountable to the session. The board submits its minutes and a record of all funds to the session (PCA BCO 9-4; OPC FG 11.5), and the PCA session adopts the budget (BCO 12-5). On property matters of special importance, PCA deacons need "the approval of the Session and consent of the congregation" (BCO 9-2).
• Meeting together. Both books call joint meetings of session and deacons desirable (PCA BCO 9-4; OPC FG 11.6).
• No deacons. Where there are none, their duties fall to the session (PCA BCO 9-2; OPC FG 11.7).

Oversight means the elders supervise the deacons' work, not that they do it for them.

How does a Reformed Baptist church structure the same offices?

The 1689 London Baptist Confession names the same two offices: the officers Christ appointed "to be continued to the end of the world, are bishops or elders, and deacons" (26.8). Both are chosen "by the common suffrage of the church itself." Elders are set apart "by fasting and prayer, with imposition of hands of the eldership of the church," and deacons "by prayer, and the like imposition of hands" (26.9).

The structural difference is that the 1689 gives each particular church the power needed for its own worship and discipline (26.7), rather than placing its elders under a presbytery. Each church's constitution sets how the work is divided.

How should you train elders and deacons?

Character first, then the specific work. Most of what Paul lists in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 is character, and Acts 6 asked for men "full of the Spirit and of wisdom" before handing them a task. Both Presbyterian orders build training into the process: PCA nominees "shall receive instruction in the qualifications and work of the office" (BCO 24-1), and OPC candidates normally receive training under or approved by the session (FG 25.3).

For both offices: the call and character of the officer (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1), leadership as service (Mark 10:35-45), Scripture and your confession, your church's government, the officer's own walk with God and home, and how to handle conflict.

For elders: the elder in Scripture (Acts 20; 1 Peter 5); government and discipline (Matthew 18:15-17 and your book of discipline); visiting and opening the Bible with a struggling member; and the unity of the session, how to disagree and then stand together.

For deacons: the deacon in Scripture (Acts 6; 1 Timothy 3:8-13); how to find the overlooked and protect their dignity; keeping funds above suspicion (2 Corinthians 8:20-21); and care for neighbors outside the church (Galatians 6:10).

Let candidates do some of the work before they hold the office. The OPC asks that a man normally have "served the church in functions requiring responsible leadership" (FG 25.3). Take an elder candidate on a pastoral visit. Give a deacon candidate a real benevolence request to work through with the board.

A next step for this week

• Read Acts 6:1-7 and Acts 20:17-38 with your session.
• Read your church order on the offices (PCA BCO 7 to 9 and 12; OPC FG 5, 10, 11 and 13) with your officers, and ask where your practice has drifted.
• Before you examine nominees, prepare with these questions to ask deacon and elder candidates.

If you want the training drafted for your church, the church leadership training in Hokmah Expositor drafts eight foundational sessions plus four on the specific work of elders or of deacons, for you to review. It does not replace your church's constitution.

Sources

• Book of Church Order, Part 1, chapters 7, 8, 9, 12 and 24, Presbyterian Church in America, amendments through the 53rd General Assembly (2026), https://www.pcaac.org/book-of-church-order/part-1-the-form-of-government/
• Form of Government, chapters V, X, XI, XIII and XXV, Book of Church Order, Orthodox Presbyterian Church, online edition (accessed October 2026), https://www.opc.org/BCO/FG.html
• The Form of Presbyterial Church Government (Westminster Assembly, 1645), "Deacons," Reformed Standards, https://reformedstandards.com/westminster/government.html
• The Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, chapter 26, The Reformed Reader, https://reformedreader.org/ccc/1689lbc/english/Chapter26.htm