At the Westside church of Christ, we have appointed men who serve as deacons for the congregation. There is a biblical position in the local church for "deacons," which simply means "servants" – but it is not a position of authority in a local church. The New Testament gives examples of both "appointed" servants selected by the local church to specific tasks (Acts 6:1-6), as well as other servants who serve the Lord in a general sense in a local church (Romans 16:1). 

The word translated "deacon" in 1 Timothy 3:13 is the verb "diakoneo" which is found only in 1 Timothy 3:10, 13, and is translated by the phrase, "use the office of a deacon." Perhaps a better translation is "to serve as deacons;" and the context speaks of those servants who meet certain qualifications and are then "appointed" to specific tasks. Our deacons are:

The qualifications of a deacon can only be found in the scriptures: "Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given too much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 3:8-13).