Ephesians 4:11-13 teaches Jesus “gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors (shepherds) and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”
Because the apostles had to witness the life, and the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, (Acts 1:21-22), the gift of the apostleship no longer exist today. The prophets in the New Testament were those who had the laying on of the apostles’ hands, and according to I Corinthians 13:10, this gift would be done away with and replaced with the completed New Testament Scriptures.
This leaves two gifts – evangelists and shepherds/teachers as remaining gifts within the New Testament church.
Currently, Lakeport Christian Church has three shepherd/teachers, or elders (Steve Click, Carl Paschal, and George Randolph) and one evangelist (Kevin Ziegler).
The biblical word for “deacon” means “servant”. So at Lakeport Christian Church, we follow the biblical pattern, and our deacons serve the church in many different capacities.
Lakeport currently has one deacon: Tom Keagle
Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach (I Timothy 3:8-10).