Mount Lebanon, New York, Church Family Deacons’ Records

Scope and content

Organization: The records are divided into the following series: 1) Family Journals 2) Regulations 3) Correspondence 4) Work records

Historical notes

The position of Deacon was established in the New Lebanon Church, First Family in 1788 by the Ministry to oversee the temporal affairs of the family. In 1794, a separate position of Office Deacon or Trustee assumed supervision over external affairs, leaving the Family Deacons in charge of domestic operations of the family. Appointed by the Church Family Elders in union with the Ministry, the lot of family deacons (also commonly referred to simply as Deaconesses and Deacons) was composed of at least two women and two men, for the respective female and male lines. The last Deacon and Deaconess were appointed in 1917. A complete list of appointments is available. The Church Family, Second Order or Center family had a separate order of family deacons. The exact size, organization and distribution of duties within the order of family deacons was determined by the needs of the family and varied from family to family and over time within the Church family. Occupations were strictly designated as male or female, and the Deacons and Deaconesses were responsible for training and supervision on their respective sides of the family. In addition to the daily operations of the family, the Deacons and Deaconesses also supervised the production of goods for sale. Outside purchases and sales, however, were supervised by the Trustees. The Deacons and Deaconesses kept or appointed other writers to keep regular journals of family activities and journals were also kept by the various trades.