We now come to the central issue to be addressed. Can a woman be a deacon or is the diaconate restricted to men only? This is an important question and there cannot be any trivial approach to answering it.
Examination of the word used for 'deacon' in Scripture shows that the same word is used when applying to both men and women. In Romans, Paul says: 'I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea' (16.1). The word used there for 'servant' is the word 'deacon'. So a straight reading of the text tells us that Phoebe was a deacon.
The word used is the same when applied to men and women. Evidently, from that usage alone, we can infer that the word applies to both male and female alike. The word, therefore, can be taken to mean 'deaconess'. Writing to Timothy, Paul says: 'In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything' (1 Timothy 3.11). Many people would argue from this verse that deacons are male because the verse refers to 'their wives'. However, the word in the original used for 'wives' is the same word for 'women'. It seems that the translators have interpreted these passages in accordance with a particular theological and sociological prejudice.
