"The Church Needs Good Deacons" is a
gospel blues song written by
Washington Phillips (18801954) and recorded by him in 1929 (vocals and
zither
Zithers (; , from the Greek word ''cithara'') are a class of stringed instruments. Historically, the name has been applied to any instrument of the psaltery family, or to an instrument consisting of many strings stretched across a thin, flat bo ...
).
A
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...
is a
Christian minister
In Christianity, a minister is a person authorised by a church or other religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidanc ...
associated with service of some kind, which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Phillips refers to the great example of
St. Stephen
Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...
, one of the seven deacons appointed to distribute food and charitable aid to poorer members of the community in the early church. He goes on to say:
He condemns deacons of his time who "won't put up with one honest woman, but tries to live with two or three", and concludes with a reference to the description of what the character of a deacon should be in the
First Epistle to Timothy (traditionally attributed to
St. Paul) at
3:813.
Recordings
* 1929Washington Phillips, 10" 78rpm single Columbia
14566-D
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Church Needs Good Deacons
Blues songs
Gospel songs
Washington Phillips songs
1929 songs
Columbia Records singles