Leadership Lesson #3

Leadership in the Church

"If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good! But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he’s talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap." 1 Timothy 3:1-7 MSG

Continuing on this series, we will now take a look at the heart of the requirements of being church servant leaders (chapter 3).

From this we will pull out at least 10 points that Paul was charging Timothy, the young man he left to lead and pastor the church in Ephesus.

1) Leaders appointed to lead a church should have a good reputation not just from within the church but from the community and should be respected by his wife and children.

2) The leader must have one wife.

3) The leader should not be a drinker.

4) The leader must be accessible, hospitable and gentle.

5) The leader should not be easily offended.

6) The leader must not be greedy.

7) The leader should be able to teach the gospel.

8) The leader must be non-violent.

9) The leader must be able to manage his finances and his family affairs.

10) And lastly, the leader must not be a new believer. For this requirement, Paul added a warning, less the leader becomes arrogant and fall into traps the enemy will set for him.

Now the reality is that a few of these conditions, Paul himself do not possess. And this probably is why I believe he did not pastor a church. He sure planted many and oversaw their pastors, but he didn't really stay as a pastor of a church.

It is amazing that, the conditions he set forth, he himself would not be able to pass, such is the importance of choosing the right church leaders and the humility of this man who was once so self-centered and self-arrogant and so sure of himself, that he had no need for God.