# Resources for rational of deacons not handling money



## tangleword (Apr 3, 2017)

I have been thinking of deacons a lot lately, and have been looking for resources as to the basis for the situation in many OPC churches where the Deacon's don't handle the money/facilities/maintenance, etc, instead these rolls are handled by the trustees. The deacons are only responsible for ministries of mercy. The FOG XXI.4 states:
"4. The board shall oversee the ministry of mercy in the church and shall collect and disburse funds for the relief of the needy. Other forms of service for the church may also be committed to the deacons."

I believe some OPC churches assign the financial duties to the deacons as other forms of service, but in many those duties are handled by the trustees. This is different from the PCA and ARP, though similar to the PCUSA I believe. I can see where this comes from in tradition (from the PCUSA), but looking at historical documents, such as the books of discipline, it seems that the deacons were responsible for the finances at the start of the Presbyterian church. Looking for any information on the reasons for this change in how the responsibility of the deacons away from finances, and why the OPC has this while other Presbyterian denominations don't.


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## ZackF (Apr 3, 2017)

It might be hard as "Trustee" isn't a biblical office.


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## SRoper (Apr 4, 2017)

The PCA has provisions for trustees (BCO 25-6 and following), but I haven't seen them in practice. I associate trustees with old stone churches where some patron donated a bunch of money for the new bell tower and wants to be on a board. That's probably unfair.

The ARP allows for trustees as well (FoG 3.7 and following).


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## jwithnell (Apr 6, 2017)

Seems the trustee situation comes about as a matter of state law?


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## tangleword (Apr 6, 2017)

The ARP and PCA Trustees are really just for legal reasons (ARP it is the session, PCA it is for deeds and titles). In the OPC, they are often much more and do the duties assigned to the Deacons in the ARP and PCA FOG. In the ARP FoG 5.7 and 5.8 it states that Deacons are responsible for the finances and property. Similarly the PCA states the same in 9.2. The OPC in the FOG 9.4 just says the deacons duties are to "oversee the ministry of mercy in the church and shall collect and disburse funds for the relief of the needy." It does say that "Other forms of service for the church may also be committed to the deacons." which is what some churches use to have their deacons handle finances and property, but it is not specifically stated as a roll of the deacons, and in OPC churches with trustees it is a roll not preformed by the Deacons, which is very different from the PCA and ARP. The rational and/or history of not having the finances and property of the church be a responsibility of the Deacons (when it is in the PCA and ARP) what I was wondering about.


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