8 In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 1 Timothy 3:8

Slightly lower in the spiritual leadership ladder are deacons. They are not less important, and they still provide leadership within the church, depending on how the church or denomination is structured. Paul notes qualifications that are similar to that of the pastor or shepherd.

In general, what this tells us is that anyone in a leadership role in the church should be meeting these qualifications. They are not terribly high standards, but high enough that each person should be evaluated.

It’s interesting that even high standards have been put into place recently when working with children. Even though some States may not mandate better background checks on their workers, churches have taken steps to require all workers get a background check and follow specific guidelines when working with and ministering to children.

I guess the question that is left unasked is, should these characteristics also be guidelines for parishioners? Who would object to them? Of course they cannot and should not be required by churches (since they were specifically designated for deacons), but they could be taught as great standards to live by.