Qualifications for Leading God’s Church

Introduction

In Southern Baptist life, we are blessed to have 6 world class seminaries that are currently training tens of thousands of world changers for the Kingdom of God including future pastors, missionaries, discipleship leaders, ministers, doctors, teachers, and chaplains. Southern Baptist seminaries produce more pastors than any other denomination in the United States and, frankly, it’s not even close. We are blessed in the state of Missouri to have our very own Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary just a few hours away in Kansas City and as a member of a Southern Baptist Church, you at South Gate are able to get a 50% reduced rate on classes, which is pretty cool! Midwestern is the youngest of our 6 SBC seminaries as it is 67 years old. Today, Midwestern is a thriving, healthy, and growing beacon of Gospel light in a culture walking in darkness… but it didn’t use to always be this way. Decades ago, my dad attended Midwestern and the seminary was experiencing some controversy. So much so, that my dad was in a class preparing a final paper and in this process he knew that his professor leaned theologically liberal on issues like the authority and inspiration of the Bible and believed that the Bible had errors and things like that. As he was preparing for this final paper that would account for a large percentage of his grade, he asked the professor, “Should I defend what I believe, or should I write my paper in line with what you’ve taught us?” His response was that the professor was the one grading his paper and to write accordingly. Things were not good during the 1980s and 1990s. Even moving forward to 2012 and the seminary was a distant cousin to places like Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas and Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

Following the resignation of the 4th president in the its history, the trustees at Midwestern voted 29-2 to call 35 year old Jason Allen to become the 5th president of the school. Allen inherited a ship that many believed was sinking. A school that could not meet payroll. A school with a building project that had been stalled out for over a year to to insufficient funding. A school with just over 1,000 students pursuing Christian higher education. Today, just over 12 years later, Midwestern has an enrollment of 5,200 students. Midwestern has allocated $45 million in campus facility upgrades and projects, not including completely renovated on campus housing, with zero debt. Midwestern’s revenues nearly quadrupled from $8 million to over $30 million. We’ve seen a “turnaround” unlike anything in SBC history and God has used a great man to lead tens of thousands into vocational ministry as a result. It’s not that this wasn’t possible before. It’s not that there was not leadership before… it’s that it wasn’t the right leader at the right time. See, leadership matters. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about your family, your job, your school, or your church, leadership matters!

As we think about the local church, there is such a need for godly leadership. But where do we find the right things to look for in a church leader? Where do we find these qualifications of sorts? Some say that we should look in the secular market and in CEO manuals. Others believe we need to model our structure after as a major corporation does and expect our leaders to be marketing, finance, and technology geniuses! Some say that anyone can lead Christ’s Church. Do you know what the Bible says about the leaders of the local church? They are shepherds. Not CEOs. Not Kings. Shepherds. Shepherds who have been saved by Jesus and who desire to lead their sheep to become more like Jesus. Who leads the local church? Pastors. Men who love the Gospel and who will stand on the Gospel. This morning as we continue in Titus, we’re in Titus 1:5-9 and we’ll be looking at the character and competency qualifications for leading God’s Church and I pray that this is an encouraging passage for our church as we pray for God to continue raising up more and more of these men at South Gate in the years to come!

Titus 1:5–9 CSB

5 The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town. 6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion. 7 As an overseer of God’s household, he must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.

How on earth does this text on elders and overseers impact us today? This passage gives our church instructions for leadership and structure. This passage reminds pastors of what God expects of them. This passage helps our church know what to look for in future associate and lead pastors. Leadership matters… If God takes something seriously, friends, we must as well! Let’s pray together and ask for God’s help as we study together!

The Context for Godly Leaders (5)

Again, leadership is a big deal. It doesn’t matter the context whether it be the home, a business, a even a country, if the leadership is wrong then that is going to cause problems from the top on down. We can all think of times in our lives whenever we faced a problem due to defective leadership. Maybe for you that’s a problem at your job that was brought about because a supervisor, principal, manager, or boss didn’t lead well. Maybe for you it’s a problem that you experienced in your home as a parent dropped the ball and didn’t lead in a Christlike manner. We have all experienced the pain of broken promises and poor leadership… and this is especially true in the context of the local church. In fact, most problems in the local church can be traced to defective leadership within the local church. Not all problems, but many of them. Think about why we face problems in the first place. This past week we had some wintry weather and in Missouri, that means that sometimes we get ice and whenever we get ice, sometimes our cars don’t exactly go where they’re supposed to go. Do you know why we have car accidents on icy roads? Maybe you’re thinking because of poor drivers - that’s sometimes true - but ultimately it’s because we live in a fallen, broken world! Why do we face relational, emotional, spiritual, and physical problems? It’s because of sin. We are all fallen, sinful, and broken people - and this includes people who come to church. The church is not a palace for perfect people, it’s a hospital for those who are dying and in need of saving! It’s a place for imperfect people to worship a perfect Savior! See, all of us, your pastor included, are sinners who desperately need Jesus Christ!

God loves His Church… and He takes leadership seriously! For this reason, the Bible addresses God’s standards to lead His Church in 4 New Testament passages. 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Peter 5:1-5, Acts 20:28-38, and Titus 1:5-9. Whenever God speaks, He does so for our benefit! This is true in these passages that tell us about what God expects from the under shepherds of His sheep. This is what Paul is telling Titus in this opening verse, he is setting the stage for what is going to follow and it all starts because of a problem.

What is this problem? Something is broken… and it’s the leadership. This is a big deal… and this is why Paul instructs Titus to “set right what was left undone.” The word here for set right is “epidiortho” and the root is “ortho” - can you think of some words that we use regularly that have that same root? Orthodontics - what do they do? They straighten your teeth. Orthopedic - straighten your bones. There is something crooked here. Something that isn’t how it should be. Something that Paul did not get to finish. What could that be? Paul did not get the time when he was in Crete to appoint elders

Acts 14:23 CSB

23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

This is the problem. There are not elders leading these churches. What is the solution? Appointing elders in every town. Why is this a big deal? Why elders? This is the norm in the New Testament. There are 2 offices in the New Testament church, Elder and Deacon. I remember whenever I read 1 Peter 5 for the first time as Peter exhorts the elders of the church and I imagined he was talking about elderly people, or old people. Maybe that’s where your mind goes as well whenever you think of elder - you think of someone old. We’re not talking about someone experienced in earthly years, we’re talking about someone experienced in spiritual wisdom. This is an office of leadership within the church. We see this more clearly in Acts 20:28 as Paul says this to the Ephesian Elders

Acts 20:28 CSB

28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.

What do these elders do? They oversee the flock and shepherd the church. For this reason, sometimes we see words like Pastor or even Overseer. These aren’t different people, these are the same people. We could say this, Elder is the office and pastoring and overseeing are the functions. Elders are Pastors. Pastors are Overseers. Overseers are Elders. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 says this: “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” In creation, we see before sin enters the world, that Eve is created to help Adam. Equally made in God’s image. Of equal importance in God’s eyes, and in this world! Adam was given the charge to lead and exercise this authority and responsibility and Eve is created to help Adam. To complement Adam. As Southern Baptists, we are unashamedly complementarian as there are roles God has ordained for men and roles that God has designed for women. This means, in the church, this office of spiritual leadership and overseeing the flock is given to called and qualified men. Not because of culture or tradition, but because that’s what Scripture says. This office of elder is extremely important to the life and health of the church! Here is the issue, though. Notice what Titus’ instruction is: Appoint “elders” - plural.

Wayne Grudem shares this, “There is quite a consistent pattern of plural elders as the main governing group in the New Testament churches.” In other words, Pastors are called to lead the church. We know that churches require far more help and leadership than just pastors! Ministry and Administrative staff help to run the operations and certain areas of the church. Deacons serve the church. Committees and ministry teams review what is going on in the church. The congregation votes on things and votes people into leadership positions within the church… There are many leaders in any church, but this office of Elder is called to oversee and pastor or shepherd the entire flock. Many have tried to do this by themselves, and this leads to burnout and it’s not healthy - this is why the Bible shares that this oversight is to be shared by multiple pastors.

Take a church with only 1 pastor. That’s might be a CEO structure from the business world, not it is foreign to the Biblical world. Every pastor is different. Some are better at preaching. Some are better at counseling. Some are better with shepherding. How does this spiritual leadership work with just one pastor with strengths and weaknesses? Some say go to the deacons and have the deacons do the leading… but the function of deacons is to serve the church, not to be a board that oversees the overseer. As Mark Dever once shared, “Pastors need Deacons to serve practically, and deacons need pastors to lead spiritually.” Some say that they should go to the staff… but a minister is not an overseer. I’ll say that again, there are 2 offices in the church: Pastor/Elder/Overseer and Deacon. There is not an office in the New Testament of Minister. In fact, the Greek word for minister is “leitourgeo” means servant which means that this person functions like a deacon - not as an overseer of the church. Ministers are not Pastors. That doesn’t mean that Ministers are unimportant, far from it… It means that words matter! Titles and functions are important. Ministry staff are not pastoral staff because they are not pastors.

God’s desire is for there to be multiple pastors in each church to provide every body with stability and each pastor with Biblical accountability. Every pastor needs accountability. Your pastor needs accountability. Fellow pastors to shoulder the shepherding load, provide encouragement, offer guidance as God intended from other shepherds.

Y’all, the Bible is such a blessing to us and it is so helpful to us if we would just read it and practice what it says, friends! This is why the norm in the New Testament is for churches to have a plurality of pastors. Multiple pastors who lead God’s flock spiritually. We are so blessed to have incredible leaders in many respects and in many areas. Kids, youth, music, administrative teams, the list goes on, but there is a difference between leading an area and exercising pastoral leadership by shepherding the flock. So many churches have gone wrong by either selecting people and telling them to fit these qualifications whenever they don’t, or by handcuffing pastors by not allowing them to lead and neither of these are healthy and it’s not effective for anyone involved. The Biblical outline is for churches to have multiple pastors exercising spiritual leadership and oversight of the flock - this is the norm in the Bible and it has been the norm throughout the history of the church. This is what churches need today - multiple pastors, multiple elders, multiple overseers, who are appointed or ordained to lead the local church for God’s glory and the good of the local body!

The Conduct and Character of Godly Leaders (6-8)

So, if this is God’s plan as Titus 1 is telling us and as the book of Acts clearly lays out, multiple pastors leading God’s church, what should the church look for in these men? Many churches look for a charismatic personality that can captivate a crowd. Others will look for someone possibly very popular who will “grow” the church. Others will look for someone who is an expert administrator with financial and business skills who will make things smooth sailing for everyone involved. Some people will say that they feel a calling to a certain ministry… Sadly, sometimes that motivation is extra respect, responsibility, or resources… but God’s will will never contradict God’s Word. The Bible is our authority when looking at these qualifications. Look with me in 1 Timothy 3

1 Timothy 3:2–4 CSB

2 An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy. 4 He must manage his own household competently and have his children under control with all dignity.

1 Timothy 3:5–7 CSB

5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and incur the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and the devil’s trap.

We see 15 qualifications in this passage and only 1 focuses on ability… everything else is character. What is a massive problem in the church today? Generally speaking, being able to teach is seen as significantly more important than the character qualities. To put it differently, we have more preachers than we do pastors. But there isn’t an office of preacher… the office is the office of pastor, which means a shepherd with these qualities that Paul lays out multiple times throughout his letters. The first one in Titus 1:6 is to be blameless. If blameless means sinless then we need to put together another pastor search team, but I hate to inform you, they’d run into the same problem. Pastors aren’t sinless… this word means to be above reproach, or of a good reputation. This is why accountability is so important, especially for pastors. This is why having multiple pastors is such a blessing as you can have Biblical accountability that so often is missing for pastors. This is a character quality of being respectable and a person of integrity. How can you tell this? Paul starts with the home, specifically with being faithful to one’s wife.

If you want to know if a man is qualified to be a pastor, start by spending time with his wife. This is why it’s so important whenever we bring on another pastor to hear from his wife - no, you don’t get 2 employees for the price of 1, as some churches think you do… but you learn a lot about a prospective pastor by genuinely knowing his wife. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard of stories where pastors, at churches of 100 and churches of 10,000, “win” in public but have already lost long ago in private. They excel on stage, but they have failed in their home… Paul is saying that, other than his relationship with God, the number one priority of a pastor, an elder, an overseer, is leading his home. This man is to be, literally, a “one-woman-man.” Not only is Paul warning against a man with multiple wives, but he is cautioning against sexual impurity. This isn’t saying that an unmarried man cannot be a pastor, but he must too be a “one-woman-man” and is not a flirt. Also in the home, we see children listed. You can learn a lot about a pastor by talking to his children! Paul gives these instructions that the elder’s children are to be faithful - or believing. The word for children here, Tekna, implies young children or little children. Whenever a child is young, the child usually believes what the child is taught. The expectation for elders is to teach their young children the truths of God’s Word - something that was expected of parents all the way back in Deuteronomy 6. If the pastor cannot oversee his own house, as 1 Timothy 3:5 says, “How will he take care of God’s church?” Leading in the Home matters… and this isn’t only true for pastors, but husbands, dads, let me just encourage you here and share that God has tasked that spiritual leadership responsibility to you.

The next set of character qualifications continue on in verse 7 to again show us that the concern of New Testament Elders was not primarily people with the best skills… but with the best character. What are these character qualifications? There are 11 qualities for these individuals to either avoid or possess:

Not arrogant

Not hot-tempered

Not excessive drinker

Not a bully

Not greedy

YES

Hospitable

Love what is good

Sensible

Righteous

Holy

Self-Controlled

As a pastor, this is a seriously convicting list every time that I read it. Why these characteristics? Because a person can preach a great sermon, but if their life doesn’t line up with that message, it is a message that falls flat. Again, Titus is telling us that Doctrine Demands Devotion. We’ve all heard the expression that actions speak louder than words, haven’t we? Imagine someone telling you about the Gospel message and how God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins on the cross and forgive us, and 10 minutes later this same individual is yelling at your friend because they accidentally got the last coffee cup at the church coffee bar. See, our actions not only impact ourselves but others!

A few years ago a pastor purchased an older home near their church. The pastor and his wife have several young children and some mornings, the husband would wake well before the kids in order to get some work done but quickly found out that there are some floorboards that creek whenever they get stepped on. His wife was describing how the husband has to walk and hop on a very specific path like an acrobat in order to not make a noise and wake up the kids. He adjusts his path for the sanity of his wife and the sleep of his kids. True leaders, whether it be a pastor, a minister, a teacher, a parent, a boss, or a friend, even though they have the liberty to walk wherever they want to, within the bounds of Scripture, at times adjust their steps for the sake of those around them. Pastors are expected to model this behavior for their flock in order to demonstrate the power and change the Gospel makes!

The Convictions of Godly Leaders (9)

We all have convictions. Some of us are convicted to always tell the truth, or not steal. Others are convicted to be a lifelong learner or to advocate for people who are struggling and suffering. Some are convicted about certain family traditions happening at certain times and in certain ways. We all have certain convictions that we hold to - as Christians we have convictions concerning the Bible - we believe that the Bible is God’s Word. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the only way to be saved. We believe that Jesus is coming back and that we will be with God forever. These are convictions and these are good things! Verse 9 gives us that the chief conviction of pastors is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pastors must be godly people, and they must preach God’s Word.

2 Timothy 4:2 CSB

2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching.

This is the chief calling to any pastor. Not programming. Not charisma. Not social media savviness. Not fashion awareness. Not business or maintenance acumen. As Acts 6 calls it, the ministry of the Word is what God calls these individuals, these elders, these pastors to do. So what does the Word of God do?

Charles Spurgeon once shared that “The Word of God is the anvil upon which the opinions of man are smashed.” What does this mean? The Word of God is our authority. The Word of God reigns supreme. We’ll be in Romans 8 after Easter, let’s briefly use Romans 8 as a case study for how the Word impacts us.

First, the Word of God comforts us. Consider a verse like Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 CSB

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

God has a plan and all things work together for our good. They might not feel good. But we can take comfort in knowing that God will use all things to make us more like Jesus, which is for our ultimate good!

Sometimes, though, God’s Word convicts us! Have you ever been convicted as you’ve read Scripture before? I’ve been there many a time!

Romans 8:16–17 CSB

16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

That last verse - if we suffer with Him… Sometimes we think that because we’re Christians, we don’t deserve to suffer or that suffering is beneath us. God’s Word convicts us and forces us to rely more on God’s power and strength than our own.

Finally, God’s Word is what converts us. God’s Word comforts, convicts, and converts.

Romans 8:1 CSB

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,

What does this mean? If you are in Christ, there is no condemnation. There is peace, hope, and life found exclusively in Jesus Christ. This faithful message is encouraging to those who are saved, and the pastor must preach these Gospel truths that comfort, convict, and convert… but the true Gospel will not only encourage, it will challenge those who reject it. It will refute those who contradict it. As it’s been said before, a pastor must have 2 voices as a shepherd: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for driving away wolves. This means that a pastor must preach the Word and not shy away from parts that might bring about conviction. This means that a pastor must preach the Word, even if it doesn’t align with what our world believes or what other people might say. Y’all already know by now, if the Bible says it… that settles it. The reason a pastor must have this Gospel boldness is because the primary conviction of pastors/elders/overseers is obedience to God’s Word. Not pleasing people. Not preaching messages that tickle ears. Not being “liked.” Obedience to Jesus matters most. Paul is telling Titus to identify these men who demonstrate this high character and have an aspiration to this office of pastor/elder/overseer and to appoint them or, as we call it, to ordain them, to this role.

I’m not sure when the last time South Gate ordained a Deacon but I know that we are blessed to have a group of godly men who desire to serve this church well. Some do this in front of others on an administrative team or teaching and some do this behind the scenes through prayer, coming in when no one else is here, and filling in the cracks. I pray that God will send us more godly men who desire to serve our body as Deacons in the days to come. And I hope that you join me in praying for the other office of the local church: Pastor/Elder/Overseer. The picture in Titus 1 and the entire New Testament is for there to be multiple pastors in the local church. Multiple men who meet these character qualifications and possess the desire and aspiration to shepherd and oversee the flock. This is a sign of a healthy church - that God sends from outside and equips from within pastors/elders/overseers who are called to shepherd God’s flock. Not only pastors, but other ministry leaders. This is a sign of a healthy church and this should be a regular prayer for us at South Gate, that God would continue to call people to Himself and into leadership roles and to equip them. This is also the job of our church as Ephesians 4:12 says

Ephesians 4:12 CSB

12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,

Students, how many of you have gone through LIT? I remember Lindsey and I did LIT whenever we were in 5-6 grade and I learned in those years that God has given each of us a spiritual gift that He expects us to use in the church. I remember having opportunities to use those gifts whether it be teaching a children’s class, serving on our worship team, or cleaning behind the scenes. As I look back on those years and my friends, 4 of us were called to ministry in one way or another. One went to Midwestern to become a Missionary and he has already served in multiple capacities overseas. One friend is a pastor. One red-head married a pastor. And then myself. Dozens more are faithfully serving in local churches and helping in kids ministry, worship teams, and teaching discipleship classes. I pray deeply that in the years to come at South Gate Baptist Church, we will see more and more people called to ministry. Some might be called to pastor. Some might be called to serve as a minister. Some might lead behind the scenes. Some might be the “whatever, whenever, however” types of servants who will fill in the cracks. Some might be 10, some might be 30, some might be 70. God knows what South Gate Baptist Church needs and that starts with godly pastors/elders/overseers who love God’s Word and live out God’s Word. But it can’t just be one person… we need more. This passage reminds us that we need multiple pastors that meet these criteria and have this same passion for God’s Word, God’s glory, and the good of our body.

God sets the bar high - we can’t lower that standard. We must pray for God to raise up more pastors, more leaders, more teachers, more servants. How can we all participate in this process? We can all pray! 4 ways to pray for our leadership and our church.

Pray for your Pastor

Self-serving? Maybe. Biblical? Yes. Hebrews 13:17 says that I will give an account to God for each of you. That isn’t given to ministers, directors, or even teachers… it’s given to pastors. Hebrews 13:17 is a tough verse. It keeps pastors and church members awake at night sometimes. The healthiest churches and the best pastors are those who have an army of members praying for them. Charles Spurgeon, the greatest Baptist preacher of the last 150 years, was asked about why his church and ministry were so successful in London and he answered with this, “My people pray for me.” What unites the body, encourages the shepherd, and changes our perspective? Prayer! Thank you for those of you who do this regularly, it’s humbling and those prayers are felt!

Pray for your Staff

These qualifications in Titus 1 as well as 1 Timothy 3 and 1 Peter 5 are for pastors, not ministers… but that doesn’t mean that being a minister in a church isn’t challenging or difficult - it’s incredibly hard. Pray that God will strengthen our ministry and administrative staff and pray for wisdom in how you can encourage someone on staff because leadership isn’t easy. It might seem that way, but it’s challenging. Pray for wisdom. I’ve been blessed to work with some of the best staff members imaginable since being a pastor and South Gate, we are blessed to have a good and growing staff.

Pray for our Church

Pray that God will unify our church as we stand on God’s Word. Verse 9 tells pastors to encourage with sound teaching - pray that our church will grow spiritually as we stand on God’s Word. Pray that God will help each of us grow deeper in our walk with Him and our relationship with one another! Pray that God’s Word opens eyes and changes hearts.

Pray for God’s Glory

All that we do is for the glory of God - 1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us of this. As we continue in 2025 at South Gate Baptist Church, pray for God to be glorified by what we do as a church and as individuals.

Our message is not a new message. It’s not an ancient message. It’s a timeless message. It’s the message that we might not want, but the one that we all need: Jesus Christ Still Saves Sinners. God made all things perfect. Sin separates us all from God. Jesus came to seek and save sinners. We must repent or turn from our sins and trust wholly in Jesus for salvation. We live for an audience of 1. We live a changed life. We have a new purpose. We have life in abundance. We have joy unending. We have the hope of eternity with Jesus. This is the message our world needs - have you responded to this message?