DAYTONA, a city of Florida, in Volusia co. It is on the Atlantic Ocean, the Halifax river, the Jacksonville-Mi ami canal, and the Florida East Coast railroad. It is also on the line of the Florida Coastal Island Navigation Com pany. In recent years it has become a popular summer and winter resort. It has excellent hotels, a library, and an Elks' Home. The principal industries are the growing of oranges and straw berries, and fishing. Pop. (1910) 3,082; (1920) 5,445.
[Lat. diatoms, all from Cr. (as subst.) (1) a servant, a waiting man; (2) a minister of the Church, especially a deacon, a deacon ess; (as adj.) serving, serviceable; prob ably from di5k5 = to cause to run, to pursue.] In Scripture.—Omitting the passages in which diakonos has a general mean ing, three portions of the New Testa ment refer to the ecclesiastical officers so denominated. In Phil. i: 1, they are mentioned in conjunction with the "bish ops," and were evidently of inferior authority to them, for they are men tioned last. In I Tim. iii: 6-13, the proper qualifications requisite for their office, as well as the character which their wives should possess, are pointed out, but no mention is made of the pre cise duties which they had to discharge. In Rom. xvi: 1, Phebe is described as a servant or deaconess of the Church at Cenchrea, and in commendation of her it is stated that she had been a succorer of many, the Apostle Paul himself being among the number. There is a very general opinion that the first institution of the order of deacons is narrated in Acts vi. If the officers whose election is described in Acts vi. were deacons, then the special duty of that order of men was the distribution of the Church alms to the poor. A "daily ministration" took place in the early apostolic times to widows who could not support them selves unaided. The majority of these
could speak only Aramaic; a minority, Jewish by descent like the former, were Grecians, i. e., spoke Greek, or at least their husbands had done so. The ma jority monopolized all the attention of the almsgivers, and the representatives of the minority had to complain of neg lect. The apostles, being appealed to, felt that it would interfere with the suc cess of their spiritual work if they be came mixed up with disputes about the apportionment of money; they advised or commanded that seven men of honest report, i. e., of honorable reputation, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, should be sought and appointed almsmen to the Church.
In the Methodist Episcopal Churches. —The junior order of the priesthood, the novitiate being first ordained a dea con, and then after a time, if satisfactory conditions have been fulfilled—such as progress in grace and gifts, and the pro bation of character—elevated to the full priesthood or eldership.
In the Churches of Rome and England. —A deacon is a spiritual officer ranking beneath the bishops and priests or pres byters. The diaconate may be held at 23 years of age, the priesthood not till 24.
In the Presbyterian Churches.—The orders here are teaching elders, or minis ters, ruling elders, generally called sim ply elders (these two orders looking over the spiritual affairs of the congrega tion) ; and deacons (now gradually being displaced in many places by managers), to attend to the more secular matters.
In the Congregational, Baptist, and other Churches.—Deacons are spiritual officers ranking immediately under the minister, and looking after both the spiritual and the temporal concerns of the congregations.