Deacon Ministry

The word “Deacon” literally means servant. The deacons of Beale serve the

congregation in a variety of ways, providing Spiritual care and leadership to all. The families of Beale are each assigned a Deacon, and deacons help provide ministry to the congregation as opportunities for ministry arise (like the birth of a child, sudden illness, or even bereavement). As servant leaders in the church, the Deacons strive to lead by example in a number of ways, including serving in other areas of church life. Each year, the congregation nominates and votes on the deacons to serve for three year terms. Each year, several deacons rotate off (as their term expires) and several others rotate on. This ensures that a variety of individuals have the blessing of serving as a deacon, preventing burnout among some of our most committed members.

Deacon Ministry Focus Areas

Deacon Family Ministry

Each Deacon at Beale is assigned 10-15 families, and strives to provide pastoral care and ministry to those families as needs arise. Ministry needs might include bereavement care after the passing of a loved one, building a wheelchair ramp for someone in need, or visiting someone in a hospital or prison. Our church is growing, and the Deacons of Beale help multiply the ministry of our pastor in order to provide adequate ministry coverage to the entire church. Have you met your deacon? Fill out the form below if you would like to let your deacon know about a ministry need or concern in your life.

Communion

The deacons at Beale assist in serving communion on the first Sunday of each month. In ancient culture, deacons weren’t just officers in the church – they were waiters in restaurants and eateries. Before any other duties fell on deacons, these early “servants” in the church helped serve Communion. In assisting in Communion, Beale’s deacons  participate in serving a sacred meal that the church has observed for over 2000 years. In addition to assisting with communion at the church during worship services, Beale deacons deliver communion to shut-ins in the community, and to people who are hospitalized.

Special Worship Events

Each calendar year, Beale has a number of special worship events that are meaningful to the Tappahannock community. One example of such an event is Beale’s annual Worship On the Water Sunday. Hundreds of people gather for this special Sunday each year, and our deacons work as a team to pull together the church in support of the day. At Worship On the Water, it’s not unusual for 10-20 people to seek believer’s baptism, and without the support of the deacons, this would not be possible.

Sounding Board for the Pastor

As the Spiritual leaders of the church, the deacons often consult with the pastor on church-wide ministry plans and initiatives. Our pastor and deacons mutually seek discernment from the Lord in a variety of matter impacting the church, as they strive to lead by example in our mission “to make disciples for our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Stewardship Transparency

Each week after worship, deacons help count the money and checks received during the offering times. You can always feel good about giving to the ministry of Beale, because measures to ensure financial accountability and transparency are in place. Stewardship is, ultimately, a spiritual discipline. By serving in this way (largely in the background) on Sundays, our deacons ensure that people can have peace of mind when cultivating the spiritual habit of Christian financial stewardship.

Current Deacons at Beale

• Carter Ball
• Eddie Hammond
• Byron Hodges
• Tyler Lowery
• Paul Richardson
• Beverly Saville
• Robbie Shackelford
• Carolyn Spencer
• Bryan Taliaferro
• Trent Taliaferro
• RuthE Tobey
• James Welch