Church Leaders

Guidelines for Leaders in the Church

"This is a statement that can be trusted: If anyone sets his heart on being a bishop, he desires something excellent. A bishop must have a good reputation. He must have only one wife, be sober, use good judgment, be respectable, be hospitable, and be able to teach. He must not drink excessively or be a violent person, but he must be gentle. He must not be quarrelsome or love money. He must manage his own family well. His children should respectfully obey him. (If a man doesn’t know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a new Christian, or he might become arrogant like the devil and be condemned. People who are not Christians must speak well of him, or he might become the victim of disgraceful insults that the devil sets as traps for him.

Deacons must also be of good character. They must not be two-faced or addicted to alcohol. They must not use shameful ways to make money. They must have clear consciences about possessing the mystery of the Christian faith. First, a person must be evaluated. Then, if he has a good reputation, he may become a deacon.

Their wives must also be of good character. They must not be gossips, but they must control their tempers and be trustworthy in every way.

A deacon must have only one wife. Deacons must manage their children and their families well. Those deacons who serve well gain an excellent reputation and will have confidence as a result of their faith in Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 3:1-13


In the excerpt above, the apostle Paul talks about the qualifications to become leaders of the early church; taken from one of his letters to Timothy. His letters to young Tim and the one known letter for Titus are often called pastoral letters. These are so because, these letters were like letters of instruction and encouragement from a more experienced pastor to younger pastors.

The background here is after having started churches in the cities Paul have traveled to, he had left behind leaders or pastors in these churches, and when he was able, he visited them back to see how they were doing and he also wrote letters when he could not. Now, remember these letters were written from a different era, for a different culture, where and when they had a different way of doing things. But just the same, let us expound on the points, Paul made.

Bishop

Here, the word bishop comes from the Greek word episkopos, meaning an elder, a pastor, or an overseer. All in all, this term is the leader of a local church.

The biblical definition of this early church leader was a male (long time believer), married (to one wife; with children) and those who have integrity, spiritual maturity, as well as the ability to effectively teach the Word of God.

Deacon

Now, the term deacon comes from the Greek word diákonos meaning servant or minister. The term is a male member of a local church appointed to serve their fellow church members by meeting a particular material need.

The position of a deacon was first used in the early church primarily to minister to a particular need of a specific group of the members of the local church (as seen in Acts 6:1-6).

The early church thus flourished by the practical teaching of the "teachings" of Jesus considering their audience and their current conditions.

The early leaders, led by the Spirit, appointed Spirit-led bishops and deacons to lead the local churches who were then entrusted to repeat the process for those who will lead after them.

The Letter to Titus in 8 Minutes