Voidmagic
The Bible explicitly states that Stephen was chosen as one of the seven men to serve as deacons in Acts 6. Acts 6:5 says, "This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch." While the word "deacon" isn't used in this verse, the context clearly describes the creation of a role that would later be recognized as the diaconate. They were chosen to oversee the distribution of food to the Grecian widows, allowing the apostles to focus on prayer and ministry of the word.