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[[File:StStephen GiacomoCavedone.jpg|thumbnail|200px|[[Stephen|Saint Stephen]] was one of the first seven deacons in the Christian Church. The portrait features Stephen holding a Gospel Book in a 1601 painting by Giacomo Cavedone.]]

[[File:StStephen GiacomoCavedone.jpg|thumbnail|200px|[[Stephen|Saint Stephen]] was one of the first seven deacons in the Christian Church. The portrait features Stephen holding a Gospel Book in a 1601 painting by Giacomo Cavedone.]]

A '''deacon''' ([[Greek]] ''diakonos'' a servant who waits on the table of his master) is a member of the [[cleric]]al order next below that of a [[priest]] in hierarchical Christian churches. In non-hierarchical churches, a deacon is a layman, one of a group (called the Board of Deacons) varying from one to five percent of the church membership, charged with the day-to-day management of the church and the occasional provision of church-member services.

A '''deacon''' ([[Greek]] ''diakonos'' a servant who waits on the table of his master) is a member of the clerical order next below that of a [[priest]] in hierarchical Christian churches. In non-hierarchical churches, a deacon is a layman, one of a group (called the Board of Deacons) varying from one to five percent of the church membership, charged with the day-to-day management of the church and the occasional provision of church-member services.

== In the early church ==

== In the early church ==