Eroding Church Leadership: Part 1

If it wasn't for God's Word there would be no absolute moral standards, no source of truth, and no divine book to tell us what the qualifications are to become a pastor. A person recently told me that his pastor ask for any person to stand up who wanted to become a pastor and then within a few weeks these individuals were ordained and have since begun preaching. Is this how pastors are selected? Not in the Bible. I often wonder how many church going Christians actually know what the qualifications are to become a pastor (overseer). I would say most simply take the word of their pastor and assume their pastor has met the qualifications. In our post-modern age the qualifications and standards have been blurred and added to in dramatic ways. For example, Presbyterian USA, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church, and many others are ordaining homosexuals as pastors. Which is still hard to imagine. The first homosexual military chaplain entered active duty this past summer. Then there is the issue of ordaining female pastors. Whatever the issue, the apostle Paul has provided very clear qualifications for those seeking to become pastors. First, the Bible teaches that there are only two offices in the church, pastor and deacon. In the New Testament we see the words "overseer" or "elder" or "bishop" used to describe the role of pastor. All three words are simply interchangeable terms for the same office, pastor. If a person studies the text carefully, they will find that there is no distinction between these words, but many denominations have chosen to add multiple positions of hierarchy throughout their denominations. This is not scriptural. Please read the books of 1 Timothy and Titus for better clarity on this issue.
The issue of having a biblically qualified pastor is an issue because it demonstrates the tendency of sinful humans to do what is right in their own eyes. Thus opening the door allowing many other unsound doctrines to enter the church. If the pastor doesn't meet the qualifications of a pastor, then how are they to accomplish what Paul instructed Titus in Titus 1:9 "...both to exhort and convict those who contradict sound doctrine."

I would encourage everyone reading this post to examine their church and determine if they are abiding in the scriptural qualifications as detailed in 1 Timothy and Titus 1.

In Part 2 I will examine these qualifications in relation to some current pastors.