Who Should Run the Church?

Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons

3 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full[a] respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

As we said this letter was sent to Paul's protege Timothy, who was overseeing the church in Ephesus. In this chapter Paul outlines the qualities leaders should have before Timothy places them into service in the church.  He describes the qualifications for both "elders" and "deacons".  Generally speaking, elders were more involved in the spiritual affairs, and deacons were more concerned with more practical matters in the church.  But you will see the qualifications are similar for each.  Elders were given the task of teaching and preaching in the church, so they had a somewhat higher degree of accountability, especially in regard to good doctrine. 

At first glance when you look at the list of qualities it is a little daunting.  There are quite of a lot of character qualities listed.  If we were honest we would have to admit that we fall short in one or more of these qualities.  So while we can't be legalistic about these qualifications, we can't dismiss them either. We are all broken people in need of a Savior but leaders are held to a higher standard.  So then what is the point of this passage and the accompanying qualifications for leaders in the church?

As we know good organizations are built by good leaders.  Leaders give vision and put people in the right places to carry out the vision, but one non-negotiable quality of a leader is that they lead by example.  A leader must "walk the talk".  The sincerity and authenticity of a leader is built on integrity.  Here is  a definition of integrity of someone possessing integrity,  

"As such, one may judge that others "have integrity" to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold."

As a pastor I held in high esteem said, "Integrity is who you are when no one is looking."  Unfortunately this pastor had to step down after many years of fruitful ministry because of a lack of integrity.  Right now we are seeing a lot of leaders in the church having to step down for moral or other reasons related to integrity.  And it takes it toll on the church.  The evil one loves to take church leaders down.  

So Paul reminds us today that the spiritual health of those who lead the church is vitally important to the health of the church.  Notice Paul tells Timothy to appoint multiple elders and deacons.  There is no secret number but it would seem to be no less than seven. In most churches today, pastors are accountable to a board of elders, or in the Lutheran church we call it the "Church Council".  Often pastors serve on the board of their church, but they are only one voice.  There are different models, but one thing they all need to have in common, leaders who have an authentic relationship with God through Jesus Christ and lead by example. Paul's words are as relevant to the church as they were when he mentored young Timothy.