DEACON

[dea.con] n [ME dekene, fr. OE deacon, fr. LL diaconus, fr. Gk diakonos, lit., servant, fr. dia- + -konos (akin to enkonein to be active); perh. akin to L conari to attempt] (bef. 12c): a subordinate officer in a Christian church: as a: a Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Eastern Orthodox cleric ranking next below a priest b: one of the laymen elected by a church with congregational polity to serve in worship, in pastoral care, and on administrative committees c: a Mormon in the lowest grade of the Aaronic priesthood