Sam E. Stone wrote this article in 1968, almost a decade before he became editor of Christian Standard. This article originally quoted Scripture using the King James Version; for this post, Scripture quotations have been changed to the New International Version.
—Jim Nieman, Managing Editor
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What Makes a Good Church Leader? (From a sermon on 1 Timothy 3:1-13)
By Sam E. Stone
May 25, 1968; p. 9
God’s Word provides some rather explicit instruction concerning the basis for choosing church leaders.
The “job description” used by the first-century church is authoritative for all generations of the Lord’s people. It was given by Paul through inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Paul had labored at Ephesus longer than in any other recorded missionary work. His trusted young associate, Timothy, had been left there to continue preaching and teaching the message of Christ. In the letter which forms the basis of our message, the apostle states his purpose:
I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:14-15).
Four basic principles are outlined in the opening verses of 1 Timothy 3. They are applicable to all church leaders, and are specific requirements for those who serve as elders and deacons.
WILLINGNESS
“Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task” (1 Timothy 3:1). An office in the church is not an honor to be granted; it is not an award for attendance or special service. It is not to be used as an attempt to encourage a delinquent church member to become active.
Instead it is a serious, God-given place in the work of the kingdom. No man should be placed into office if he must be “talked into it.” He should have sufficient love for his Master and sufficient respect for the confidence of the church that he would desire to be of help in any way possible.
In the early history of the church, this willingness to serve meant sacrifice. Again and again persecutions would arise. Some were by the Gentiles; some by the Jews; some by both. In such a time and circumstance, one who was willing to serve deserved real honor. To be a church leader is to be asked to work (Acts 6:1-3).
One must “desire” the office. This does not mean that a man should think of himself as the perfect elder, deacon, minister, Bible-school superintendent, or other worker—and then use political pressure to try to secure the job. We should not be proud of our ability. We must not believe every compliment.
One must have humility—and yet every Christian ought to live in such a way that he might become a church leader. Certainly he should be willing to serve when the opportunity arises.
FAITH
It was especially critical in Ephesus that church leaders be men whose lives rested on solid, bedrock faith—and it is so today. In that day there were those who taught differing doctrines, who made shipwreck of the faith, and who added human opinions to God’s Word. Elsewhere in this letter Paul cites an example:
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth (1 Timothy 4:1-3).
Enemies of the cross today are telling us that God is dead, that there is a new morality; that ethics are like a chameleon’s skin—they may change with each situation; that one church is as good as another and that a massive ecumenical superchurch is best of all; that the New Testament church needs restructure; that the Bible is outdated. In times like these, we need to have leaders who share a faith like Paul’s and can say: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
Such faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Therefore a new Christian is not a suitable church leader. The elder “must not be a recent convert” (1 Timothy 3:6) and the deacon “must first be tested” (v. 10). Paul says they must “keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience” (v. 9).
The church must be cautious lest she place in office a man who is not fully committed to the teachings of the New Testament. Notice that this requirement is made of deacons as well as elders. Donald Guthrie comments that, “The deacons are to be men not merely of practical acumen, but also of spiritual conviction.” We need men of faith.
Robert Morrison was such a man. He set sail to do missionary work in China amid considerable ridicule. Someone asked him if he thought that he—just one man could make much of an impression on a great nation like China, so long embedded in another religion. He replied, “I can do very little, if anything. However, I expect that God will.” And God did. And He will with your life if you commit it unreservedly to Him in faith.
ABILITY
Church leaders must also be men of ability. The deacons “must manage his children and his household well” (1 Timothy 3:12). With the elders, even greater emphasis is placed on the man’s capability (vv. 4-5). The elder is given the added requirement of being “able to teach” (v. 2).
The principle is that any man unable to govern his children graciously and gravely by maintaining good discipline is no proper leader in church government. As Donald Guthrie put it, “The principle is universal, for potential skill in a larger sphere can only be indicated by similar skill in a lesser sphere..” As an example one might consider the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14ff).
One must show his talents not only in the home, but through capable and faithful participation in previous work in the local assembly. For this reason, a man who moves into a new community should not expect to be placed immediately in a position of leadership in the church—even though he has been a Christian for years and was an active worker in the church he previously attended.
When my parents moved from Clovis to Albuquerque, New Mexico, we placed membership in a church there. Although my father had served as elder, chairman of the board, and Bible-school teacher in Clovis, he was not immediately given these tasks in Albuquerque. This is as it should be; for each congregation must determine a man’s ability before she sets him apart for an office.
As a matter of fact, in the years that followed, my father was chosen to be an elder, chairman of the board, and Bible school teacher in the new church. This is the way that it usually will work out. Those who have ability and meet the other qualifications will not find themselves without an opportunity to serve.
LIFE
The prospective elder or deacon must have a good reputation with two groups: those within the church and those without. One’s behavior is the deciding factor in this qualification. An unknown poet put it like this:
You write a sermon, a chapter a day,
By deeds that you do and words that you say. Men read what you write whether false or true,
What is the gospel according to you?
When you consider the men who are nominated as church leaders, notice the serious requirements of Scripture. As they are paraphrased in Living Letters:
For a pastor must be a good man whose life cannot be spoken against. He must have only one wife, and he must be hardworking and thoughtful, orderly and full of good deeds. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and must be a good Bible teacher. He must not be a drinker or quarrelsome, but he must be gentle and kind, and not be one who loves money. . . . Also he must be well spoken of by people outside the church, those who aren’t Christians, so that Satan can’t trap him with many accusations, and leave him without freedom to lead the flock. The deacons must be the same sort of good, steady men as the pastors. They must not be heavy drinkers, and must not be greedy for money. They must be earnest, wholehearted followers of Christ who is the hidden source of their faith. . . . Deacons should have only one wife and they should have happy, obedient families (1 Timothy 3:2-3, 7-9, 12).
The man who will make a good church leader is one whose life has been changed by the gospel of Christ. Has your life been so changed? Is there an honest difference in your behavior?
John Wade tells how Robert Moffatt went as a missionary to the savage tribes of South Africa. He had translated the Bible into the native language, taught the people to read, and watched the remarkable changes which the gospel brought in the lives of these formerly fierce warriors. He saw them show mercy and compassion to their enemies, to the weak and the helpless.
One day a native came running up with a dog on a leash. “My best hunting dog is ruined—and it’s your fault.” Moffatt examined the dog and found nothing wrong. “But I know he is ruined,” insisted the native. “He ate some pages from that Bible you gave me.” The missionary smiled, “That won’t hurt.”
“But it will,” the native argued. “I have seen the Bible in the heart of a man change him from a fierce warrior into a meek, peaceful neighbor. If it will do that to a man, I know that my dog will never again be fierce enough to be a good hunting dog.”
While it is true that this man misunderstood how God’s Word operates, we must admit that he had learned a vital truth: the gospel does work. It can change a man’s life. It can change yours! It can break those habits which have a stranglehold on you; it can cure the problems in your marriage; it can ease that difficulty on the job; it can remove the fear of death that gnaws at your heart. All of these can be changed through salvation in Christ Jesus.
While the text outlines these four qualifications for church leaders—willingness, faith, ability, life—it also points the way for you to find the solution to the greatest need in your heart. To be a good church leader, you must first become a church member—a part of the body of Christ. This opportunity is yours today. END
Mr. Stone is minister to Western Hills Church of Christ, Cincinnati, Ohio.
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