The ministry of deacons and deaconesses had its beginning in apostolic times and was related to service of different kinds in the early church. It is a commonly accepted belief that the work of the deacons began with the selection of seven men, including Stephen and Phillip, by the apostles to care for the charitable work of the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:5-7). Later, the New Testament also mentions the service of female deaconesses, such as Phoebe (Rom16:1). Thus the ministry of deacons and deaconesses is biblical in origin. A totally converted life of godliness, moral and spiritual uprightness, identity with God's people and his cause, and wisdom and discernment are some of the essential qualities of those called to church leadership.
I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord'" (Ps 122:1). The words of the Psalmist remind us that there is no place of joy greater than the house of the Lord. It is where the saint and the sinner, the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the powerful and the commoner, the well and the ill come to find inner peace, to listen to words of assurance, to shout out "joyful, joyful, we adore thee," and then to wait for the benediction of the Most High for the unknown journey of days ahead.
To keep this house of God and its environs clean, neat, orderly, and to facilitate it as a place of worship is one of the essential duties of deacons and deaconesses." System and order are manifest in all the works of God throughout the universe. Order is the law of heaven, and it should be the law of God's people on the earth," (TM 26). So it should be the work of the deacons and deaconesses, to care for the physical facilities of the church, to make the church a welcoming place, and to facilitate the church as a place of worship and fellowship.