Biblical Qualifications for Church Leadership

Liberty Theological Seminary

Biblical Qualifications for Local Church Leadership

A Research Paper

Submitted to Dr. Hester

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Course

Systematic Theology II

THEO 530

By

Craig R. Jackson

5 July 2010

Table of Contents

Table of Contents 2

Executive summary 3

1.0 Introduction 4

2.0 New Testament leaders 5

3.0 Address to Titus 6

4.0 Qualifications for Local Church Leaders 7

4.1 Blameless 7

(a) Family of the Leader or Elder 7

(b) Not overbearing 9

(c) Temperance 9

(d) Sobriety 10

(e) Gain 11

4.2 Hospitability 12

(a) Loving what is good 12

(b) Temperance 13

(c) Uprightness 14

(d) Holiness 15

(e) Discipline 15

5.0 Disqualifications 15

6.0 Conclusion 16

Works Cited 18

Executive summary

Many churches are coming up in this era and each of the churches may have a different motive. Churches that are not formed for the sake of the kingdom are not churches of God and will never remain intact. Qualifications for church leadership according to the bible are clearly laid down in the book of Titus and Timothy among other bible books. The New Testament church had leaders who were referred to as deacons, elders and overseers. These titles were given to the leaders according to the tasks that they were supposed to undertake. There are several qualities that the New Testament church used to appoint the local church leaders. Paul addressed Titus on how he was to appoint leaders in every single town. Instructions were given on the qualities to put into consideration for the sake of the church as well as Christ. The qualifications laid down are broadly divided into two namely blamelessness and hospitality. Blameless characteristic is further subdivided into not quick tempered, husband of one wife, among others. On the other hand, the quality of hospitality has components such as loving to do good, discipline,

Cited: Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The cost of discipleship. New York: Hymns Ancient & Modern Ltd, 2001. Brand, Chad and David E Hankins. One Sacred Effort:. New York: B&H Publishing Group, 2006. Brown, Raymond Edward. The critical meaning of the Bible. New York: Paulist Press, 1981. —. The critical meaning of the Bible. New York: Paulist Press, 1981. Collins, Raymond F. 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: a commentary. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002. Guenther, Bruce L and Doug Heidebrecht. "The Elusive Biblical Model of Leadership." Leadership, Theology: Practical 28.2 (1999). Malphurs, Aubrey. Ministry Nuts and Bolts: What They Don 't Teach Pastors in Seminary. New York: Kregel Publications, 1998. Maxwell, John C. Developing the Leader Within You. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005. Morrow, Jonathan. Welcome to College: A Christ-Follower 's Guide for the Journey. New York: Kregel Publications, 2008. Nikkel, James R. "Church Growth Leadership Theory and Mennonite Brethren Theology." Leadership, Mennonite Brethren Church and History, Renewal/Church Growth 20.2 (1991): 72-88. Payne, J D. Discovering Church Planting: An Introduction to the Whats, Whys, and Hows of Global Church Planting. New York: Biblica, 2009. Peterson, Eugene H. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000. Taylor, William David. Too Valuable to Lose: Exploring the Causes and Cures of Missionary Attrition. New York: William Carey Library, 1997. Templeton, William. Clear Answers to Murky Questions. Virginia: Xulon Press, 2009. [1] Malphurs, Aubrey. Ministry Nuts and Bolts: What They Don 't Teach Pastors in Seminary. New York: Kregel Publications, 1998. pp.164 [2] ibid [3] Taylor, William David. Too Valuable to Lose: Exploring the Causes and Cures of Missionary Attrition. New York: William Carey Library, 1997. pp.199 [4] Guenther, Bruce L and Doug Heidebrecht [7] Brand, Chad and David E Hankins. One Sacred Effort:. New York: B&H Publishing Group, 2006. pp.28 [8] Brown, Raymond Edward —. The critical meaning of the Bible. New York: Paulist Press, 1981. pp.132 [9] "Ledership in the Church of God." 2004 [10] Brown, Raymond Edward. The critical meaning of the Bible. New York: Paulist Press, 1981. —. The critical meaning of the Bible. New York: Paulist Press, 1981. pp.138 [11] Payne, J D [12] Collins, Raymond F. 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: a commentary. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002. Pp.1 [13]Ibid, pp.123 [22] Templeton, William. Clear Answers to Murky Questions. Virginia: Xulon Press, 2009. pp.61 [23] Bonhoeffer, Dietrich [24] Collins, Raymond F. 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: a commentary. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002. pp.126 [25] Maxwell, John C [26] Malphurs, Aubrey. Ministry Nuts and Bolts: What They Don 't Teach Pastors in Seminary. New York: Kregel Publications, 1998. pp.164 [27] "Biblical Qualifications for Local Church Leadership." 2009 [28] Peterson, Eugene H. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000. pp.15 [29] Nikkel, James R [30] Morrow, Jonathan. Welcome to College: A Christ-Follower 's Guide for the Journey. New York: Kregel Publications, 2008. pp.203 [31] ibid