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<\/a><\/p>\nBIBLICAL QUALIFICATIONS FOR LOCAL CHURCH LEADERSHIP<\/strong><\/p>\n INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n When you drive down the street in the Bible belt, you see multiple signs for new church plants starting at the local high school or in the new movie theater.\u00a0 Some of those churches go on to impact the community in a huge way for the glory of God.\u00a0 Unfortunately, a number of those churches are here today and gone tomorrow.\u00a0 There are a variety of reasons for that, but the word leadership can summarize most of them.\u00a0 The Bible has given the role of church leadership special attention in the book of Titus. God has a perfect plan and design for the qualifications of those who will be serving in leadership positions in His church.<\/p>\n Our world has moved into an age of technology unlike anything seen in previous generations.\u00a0 People of influence organize their messages into sound bites and people are on the edge of their seats waiting to be entertained.\u00a0 \u201cIt is not difficult in such a world to get a person interested in the message of the gospel; it is terrifically difficult to sustain the interest.\u201d<\/p>\n Local church leaders have an opportunity to invest in and influence eternity by the way that they follow God\u2019s design for leadership.\u00a0 In the first chapter of Titus, we see that Paul is addressing Titus in an effort to inform him of the task ahead.\u00a0 Titus is a personal letter written to challenge this young leader.\u00a0 Paul was getting ready to move on and leave Titus behind.\u00a0 Titus was going to be responsible for cleaning up unfinished business in Crete.\u00a0 Once that project was started, Paul charged Titus with appointing elders in every town.\u00a0 Paul continues in Titus 1:6-9 by laying out the specific qualifications for local church leadership.<\/p>\n As you read through these twelve qualifications, it is easy to see that Paul was more concerned about the character of a leader than anything else. \u201cAn elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless\u2014not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.\u201d<\/p>\n All twelve of these characteristics fall under the two themes of blameless and hospitable.\u00a0 There is no mention of any academic training or particular physical attributes of a leader.\u00a0 That confirms that leadership must be grounded in good character and disseminated through relationships.\u00a0 Paul realized that Crete wasn\u2019t the most conservative setting for church.\u00a0 However, with proper leadership, even the most unlikely communities can be impacted by the gospel. BLAMELESS<\/strong><\/p>\n It is interesting to see that Paul began this section by talking about the character of a leader.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t say he should have good character or even be well thought of, he said an elder should be blameless.\u00a0 Blameless means being above reproach in every way.<\/p>\n I John 1:5-6 talks about the what these leaders will be sharing, \u201cThis is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.\u00a0 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 That passage speaks very clearly to the fact that God knows no darkness and someone who is leading on his behalf should not be entertaining any kind of darkness either.<\/p>\n In our society, it is becoming common to see both secular and Christian leaders fall from their positions of influence because of moral compromises they have chosen.\u00a0 Those things don\u2019t just happen.\u00a0 They occur when leaders fail to see the need for accountability in their lives.\u00a0 \u201cOur society has replaced heroes with celebrities, the quest for a well-informed character with the search for a flat stomach, substance and depth with image and personality.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul began his qualifications of a leader\u2019s character by talking about the elder\u2019s family.\u00a0 He spoke of an elder being the husband of one wife and having children who \u201cbelieved and behaved.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 If a leader is going to stand up in front of a group of people, it is critical that they have the support of their family behind them.\u00a0 In order to lead a church, an elder must first be able to lead his family in such a way that honors God.<\/p>\n Many people have taken this passage to mean that a church leader must be a married man.\u00a0 If that were the case, both Paul and Jesus would have been disqualified for church leadership because neither of them was married.\u00a0 Some say that single men have a better opportunity to lead in a church because they can be more single focused on the ministry at hand.\u00a0 Others would say that having a wife and children give a leader an opportunity to have accountability at home as well as in his ministry.<\/p>\n This passage would also lend itself to disqualifying a man who has been divorced and remarried.\u00a0 That begs the question of whether the passage means one wife at a time or one wife total over a lifetime.\u00a0 There is no clear delineation to be found.\u00a0 However, most mainline denominations prefer that their lead pastor not be divorced.\u00a0 This passage would also prevent a homosexual man from being in church leadership because it speaks of being in a relationship with a woman only.<\/p>\n The sixth verse in Titus chapter one also talks about the children of a leader.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t say that it is a requirement to have children, but if the leader has children, they should be believers who are not wild and disobedient.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the stigma of many pastor\u2019s children is that they are wild and disobedient.\u00a0 Does that mean that person should be disqualified from local church leadership?\u00a0 The passage doesn\u2019t speak specifically to what should happen, but it is important to remember that having disobedient children can take away your opportunity to minister to others who have been negatively impacted by your children and the choices that they are making.<\/p>\n As you continue reading through Titus chapter one, verse seven starts talking about specific qualities of the leader.\u00a0 Paul used the word blameless again and focused on five particular qualities, \u201cnot overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.\u201d<\/p>\n A leader cannot be overbearing.\u00a0 It is important for a leader to understand how to lead a team.\u00a0 Life and ministry are both designed to be done together in community with other believers.\u00a0 Many of the leaders who have fallen due to character issues have fallen because they took a lone ranger approach to ministry.\u00a0 In his book, The Call<\/em>, Os Guinness talks specifically about the benefits of shared leadership.\u00a0 He mentions three things in particular that happen when leaders function in a team; weaknesses are covered by the strengths of others, the work is not as overwhelming, and people are held accountable for character choices.<\/p>\n An overbearing leader tends to cause a vacuum in the organization when they depart.\u00a0 It is hard for many leaders to lead with the realization that they will someday be replaced.\u00a0 Regardless of whether you plan to leave a ministry at any point in the future, there is always the chance that you will be replaced or even find yourself unexpectedly incapacitated or dead.\u00a0 A good leader is consistently investing in the lives of those on their team with the hopes that those people will be able to carry on the mission and vision of the ministry in order to keep reaching people for Christ.<\/p>\n The Bible says that church leaders cannot be quick tempered.\u00a0 This means that a leader must demonstrate self-control at all times.\u00a0 Any foolish man can fly off the handle and rant and rave when things don\u2019t go the way he planned.\u00a0 It takes a strong leader grounded in faith to respond to a difficult situation with compassion.\u00a0\u00a0 This is often referred to as gentle strength.<\/p>\n I serve as an administrator in a Christian school.\u00a0 We are constantly encouraging our students to respond to a situation rather than react.\u00a0 A reaction is instant and often does not reflect who we really are.\u00a0 In order to respond appropriately, a leader must carefully consider the context of the situation and filter that through their biblical worldview so as to respond in such a way that would glorify God.\u00a0 In his book, The Peacemaker<\/em>, Ken Sande points out that, \u201cGod delights to make his children instruments of peace and reconciliation in the midst of conflict. \u201d<\/p>\n The next qualification we find for a biblical leader is sobriety.\u00a0 That characteristic seems to be a given, but we have all seen situations where leaders have fallen from their platform of influence due to the use of alcohol and drugs.\u00a0 Some leaders have taken the stance that they will never drink alcohol for any reason.\u00a0 That is a measure they have put in place to make sure that they will not fall into a habit of drinking.\u00a0 Other leaders believe it is ok to drink alcohol as long as it is not in excess.\u00a0 The main consideration to be found here is the possibility of alcohol being a stumbling block to the people you are ministering to. \u201cBe careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. \u201d\u00a0 If you are over 21, you can legally drink in most states, but you must consider, is my freedom to drink more important than the salvation of someone who might stumble due to their own weaknesses with alcohol?<\/p>\n Closely tied to temperance and sobriety is the admonition that a church leader should not be violent.\u00a0 This does not mean that a church leader shouldn\u2019t be passionate.\u00a0 However, it does mean that their power as a leader must be kept under control.\u00a0 There have been many leaders throughout history that have led by the sword and the spear.\u00a0 The legacy that those leaders left was one of fear and tyranny.<\/p>\n The way a person responds in a situation tells a lot about their character.\u00a0 The characteristics of self-control, sobriety, and nonviolence can all be observed over a period of time when selecting a leader.\u00a0 Sometimes this observation is neglected and churches put into place a leader that isn\u2019t the type that fits these qualifications.\u00a0 That begins a very difficult process of trying to decide what to do with that leader and how it will impact the organization.<\/p>\n The last qualification that Paul lists concerning character states that an elder must be someone that does not pursue dishonest gain.\u00a0 Church leaders must never find themselves in a position of leadership based on what they hope to gain from the situation.\u00a0 There is a certain amount of power that comes with the position of leadership.\u00a0 Leaders who abuse that power for their own gain tarnish the reputation of not only the church, but of Christ himself.<\/p>\n In The Cost of Discipleship<\/em>, Dietrich Bonhoffer addresses this, \u201cThe first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. \u201d\u00a0 Leaders who are willing to compromise in favor of dishonest gain will most likely never be able to recover from the fallout of such a selfish choice.\u00a0 Jeremiah 45:5 is very straightforward about the topic of seeking dishonest gain, \u201c”Are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them. ”<\/p>\n Is it fair to say that a church leader must be blameless?\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 Is it easy?\u00a0 Not at all.\u00a0 In this passage, Paul takes great effort to equip Titus with the highest standards possible in order to make known the name of Christ to all those in Crete.\u00a0 All leaders should strive to live a life that is blameless and completely above reproach.\u00a0 That does not mean that leaders will never make a mistake, it means that if they do, they must own that mistake and do what it takes to make the situation right. HOSPITABLE<\/strong><\/p>\n The last five qualifications of a church leader that Paul mentions all fall under the theme of being hospitable.\u00a0 These items focus on relationships.\u00a0 In his book Developing the Leader Within You<\/em>, John Maxwell says, \u201cPeople who are unable to build solid, lasting relationships will soon discover that they are unable to sustain long, effective leadership. \u201d\u00a0 In order to be a leader, there must be people who are willing to follow you and run hard after the vision that you have set out before them.\u00a0 The foundation for that kind of leadership is built on relationships.<\/p>\n The generation that is currently growing into church leadership and planting new churches must be very aware of the influence of postmodernism in our society.\u00a0 People tend to form their theology based on what others around them believe and how they view absolute truth .\u00a0 The most common outreach strategy these days involves relational ministry.<\/p>\n Paul said in Titus chapter one that an elder must be someone who loves what is good.\u00a0 This speaks specifically to the idea of surrounding yourself with people who are going to be able to speak constructively into your life.\u00a0 A leader must recognize that God created us to do life together.\u00a0 This is valuable in the area of their character as well as in their hospitality toward other believers.\u00a0 The very fact that our God gives mercy and grace so freely shows that he values the idea of giving good gifts.\u00a0 He wants the best for our lives so that our lives will be used to draw people to Himself.<\/p>\n To love what is good simply means being drawn to things that will benefit your life or the lives of those around you.\u00a0 There is a wholesome quality to a leader who loves what is good and surrounds himself with likeminded people.<\/p>\n Self-control is the next quality that Paul mentions to Titus as a qualification for leadership in the local church.\u00a0 Self-control falls under the heading of what it means to be blameless as well as what it means to be hospitable.\u00a0 2 Timothy 2:24-25 speaks directly to the influence a person of self-control should have, \u201dAnd the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth. \u201d<\/p>\n A leader that exhibits self-control will have more opportunities to reach people for the glory of God and the good of others.\u00a0 If you are going to have a chance to reach those that are far from God, you must be able to control your reactions and respond gently even in volatile situations.<\/p>\n The next quality in the area of hospitality is uprightness.\u00a0 That means being a leader that stands up for what is just and right.\u00a0 There is also an element of servant leadership that must be present in this particular area.\u00a0 All throughout his ministry, Jesus stood up for those that were in need and those that society often cast to the side or declared untouchable.\u00a0 Instead of doing the popular thing and avoiding the downtrodden, Jesus chose to go to them.\u00a0 I Corinthians 11:1 speaks directly to this, \u201cFollow me as I follow the example of Christ.”<\/p>\n A leader that is going to be upright and just in their decision making must have an awareness of the need around them.\u00a0 In most cases, leaders become leaders because they were great followers who were given an extra amount of responsibility and did a good job with it.\u00a0 If your heart is to follow Christ and encourage others to do the same, leadership opportunities will present themselves.<\/p>\n Holiness is the fourth quality in the relationship category.\u00a0 This is a non-negotiable for church leadership.\u00a0 This does not indicate that a human being can possibly achieve perfection, but it does mean raising the bar in the area of their personal walk with Jesus Christ.\u00a0 I Peter 1:15-16 says, \u201cBut just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy. ”<\/p>\n In the Bible there are over 500 references to the word holy.\u00a0 It is obvious that God placed great importance on the idea of holiness.\u00a0 Holiness is a process.\u00a0 It is a journey that requires a leader to surround themselves with people that can positively impact their walk with Christ.\u00a0 Even lead pastors need people who can hold them accountable in the area of growing in holiness.<\/p>\n The final quality mentioned is discipline.\u00a0 While this is mentioned as a separate item, it also is the summary of all of the qualities that are mentioned.\u00a0 A leader can never let their guard down.\u00a0 Leadership requires planning and purpose.\u00a0 Pastors and other church leaders must first make great strides in their personal walk with Jesus Christ before they can invest in the lives of others.\u00a0 It is usually quite easy to tell when someone has neglected this critical qualification for leadership.<\/p>\n Discipline earns respect from your followers.\u00a0 Biblical leadership requires that spiritual discipline must be present in the life of the leader before they can ever lead someone else to do the same.\u00a0 “To know the mechanics does not mean that we are practicing the Disciplines. The Spiritual Disciplines are an inward and spiritual reality, and the inner attitude of the heart is far more crucial than the mechanics for coming into the reality of the spiritual life. ”<\/p>\n CONCLUSION<\/strong><\/p>\n The biblical qualifications for church leadership require a blameless character and a hospitable spirit.\u00a0 People that serve in leadership positions have an amazing platform to influence people for Christ.\u00a0 Because leadership can\u2019t happen alone on an island, it is important for leaders to understand the role that others play in their ability to lead.\u00a0 Leaders should surround themselves with people who can speak truth into their life and hold them accountable to spiritual growth.<\/p>\n God has a perfect plan and design for the qualifications of those who will be serving in leadership positions in His church.\u00a0 The book of Titus was written approximately two thousand years ago and the standards for leadership have not changed a bit.\u00a0 The model for the qualifications of church leadership has stood the test of time and will continue to be the measuring stick for leaders for generations to come.<\/p>\n BIBLIOGRAPHY<\/strong><\/p>\n Boa, Kenneth.\u00a0 \u201cLeadership Qualities.\u201d http:\/\/www.bible.org\/page.php?page_id=3369.<\/p>\n Bonhoffer, Dietrich.\u00a0 The Cost of Discipleship.\u00a0 New York, NY: Touchstone, 1959.<\/p>\n Bush, Jr., Joseph E.\u00a0 Gentle Shepherding: Pastoral Ethics and Leadership.\u00a0 Atlanta, GA: Chalice Press, 2006.<\/p>\n Carson, D.A. and Douglas J. Moo.\u00a0 An Introduction to the New Testament, 2nd ed.\u00a0 Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.<\/p>\n Foster, Richard.\u00a0 Celebration of Discipline, 3rd ed.\u00a0 San Francisco, CA: Harper, 1998.<\/p>\n Groothius, Douglas R.\u00a0 Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism.\u00a0 Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.<\/p>\n Guinness, Os.\u00a0 The Call.\u00a0 Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 1998.<\/p>\n Hunter, III, George G.\u00a0 How To Reach Secular People.\u00a0 Nashville, TN: Abington Press, 1992.<\/p>\n Mappes, David.\u00a0 \u201cThe \u2018Laying On Of Hands\u2019 Of Elders.\u201d\u00a0 Bibliotheca Sacra, 154 (1997): Maxwell, John.\u00a0 Developing the Leader Within You.\u00a0 Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2005.<\/p>\n Moreland, J.P.\u00a0 Love Your God With All Your Mind.\u00a0 Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1997.<\/p>\n Peterson, Eugene.\u00a0 A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, 2nd ed.\u00a0 Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.<\/p>\n Sande, Ken.\u00a0 The Peacemaker, 3rd ed.\u00a0 Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2004.<\/p>\n Sanders, J. Oswald.\u00a0 Spiritual Leadership, 2nd rev. ed.\u00a0 Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1994.<\/p>\n Tabb, Mark, ed.\u00a0 Theology: Think For Yourself About What You Believe.\u00a0 Colorado Springs, CO: Think, 2006.<\/p>\n Wilkes, C. Gene.\u00a0 Jesus on Leadership.\u00a0 Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 1998.<\/p>\n Willmington, Harold.\u00a0 Willmington\u2019s Guide to the Bible. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 1981.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This was my final paper for my Systematic Theology class.\u00a0 Tons of great stuff that God brought to mind through reading a variety of things and having a ton of cool conversations with great leaders!\u00a0 Please see my list of sources at the end.\u00a0 I want to make sure that the right folks get credit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-leadership","category-seminary"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=780"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/780\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meganstrange.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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