Funeral Duties of a Baptist Deacon

• Baptist deacons provide spiritual care to the bereaved during funerals. baptist church image by Tracy Martinez from Fotolia.com

  In Baptist churches, deacons have the responsibility of providing for the spiritual needs of the congregation, especially the poor, sick, and elderly. When there is a funeral, a deacon may be asked to attend to the needs of the bereaved family, to assist the pastor with leading worship, and to exhort the congregation to prayer and thanksgiving.

Attending to the Bereaved

• A deacon's responsibilities for the needs of the bereaved family will include helping to plan the funeral (perhaps in a home visit) and assisting on the day of the funeral with seating, transportation between the church and gravesite (if this is part of the service), and pastoral care and comfort for those who are grieving.

Assistance with Leading Worship

• In many churches, the deacon has the responsibility of assisting the pastor with worship. During a funeral, this may include reading the Bible and giving a eulogy.

Exhortation to Prayer

• In keeping with the deacon's role as spiritual guide to the congregation, a deacon may be asked to remind and encourage the community to pray for and support the bereaved family long after the funeral is over.