God’s Design for Church Leadership #3 - What Makes a Man Fit to Shepherd God’s People?

Today I want to talk about the qualifications of a pastor-elder. It’s common today for people to evaluate pastors based on their charisma, ability to entertain a crowd, organizational skills, track record of church growth, niceness, or even formal theological education (like an M.Div). While none of these qualities are inherently bad, none of them are the biblical qualifications for the role.

The Bible is remarkably clear about what qualifies a man to shepherd God’s people. These qualifications are laid out primarily in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, though other parts of the New Testament also help us form a complete picture. In short, the qualified man reflects the character, truthfulness and care of Christ. For this reason, we can summarize the qualifications under three categories: character, sound doctrine and teaching ability, and household leadership.

1. Character

An elder must display the fruit of the Spirit. The New Testament focuses far more on who a man is than what he can do. Paul gives us a list of moral and spiritual qualifications (1 Timothy 3:2–7, Titus 1:6-9):

• Above reproach

• The husband of one wife

• Sober-minded

• Self-controlled

• Respectable

• Hospitable

• Able to teach

• Not a drunkard

• Not violent but gentle

• Not quarrelsome

• Not a lover of money

• Well thought of by outsiders

• Not be arrogant or quick-tempered

• Lover of good

• Be upright, holy, and disciplined

  
  

These are not optional traits. These are the basic expectations for those entrusted with leading the household of God. Character is the foundation.

2. Sound Theology and Teaching Ability

We often confuse "good teaching" with entertainment or eloquence. But biblical teaching is not about grabbing attention; it’s about transmitting the truth of God's Word clearly, faithfully, and fruitfully.

An elder must hold firmly to sound doctrine (Titus 1:9), rightly handle the word of truth ( 2 Timothy 2:15), and be able to teach others also (1 Timothy 3:2, 2 Timothy 2:2). He must also refute error and build up the church in the truth.

True teaching is transformational. It doesn’t merely fill minds with facts—it leads hearts to worship, minds to clarity, and lives to obedience. A good teacher not only speaks truth but embodies it, helping the church know what it means to believe, rest in, and follow Jesus.

3. Household Leadership

Paul says clearly: “If someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1 Timothy 3:5)

The elder is a spiritual father, and the church is the household of God. If a man is not faithfully leading, loving, and discipling his wife and children, he is not ready to lead a larger and more spiritually complex household. His home is the training ground and testing ground for church leadership. A man’s family should be flourishing under his leadership, serving as evidence that he is capable of leading the members of the local church toward spiritual flourishing as well.

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So yes, the bar is high. This kind of man is rare today, and it truly takes a miracle of grace to form him. Elders are not naturally produced; they are supernaturally called, sanctified, and sustained by the Holy Spirit.

And when I say this is the work of the Holy Spirit, I don’t mean churches should be passive. Quite the opposite. Churches must be active and diligent in using the means God has given (worship, discipleship, teaching, prayer, and accountability) to raise up qualified men from among their own.

Oh, and yes—elders must be men. This is not a cultural issue but a biblical one. There is no foundation in Scripture for women serving as elders or pastors. Being a man is not itself a qualification, but it is a prerequisite by design. God has ordered His household with wisdom and purpose, and we are called to submit to that order.

May God be gracious to our churches and give us godly men to lead them.

Nino Marques