Leadership Matters

Introduction:

As leadership goes, so goes the church. If the leadership is filled with apathy, the church will reflect this. If the leadership is bitter, depressed and angry, the church will reflect this. If the leadership are not doctrinally sound, the church will reflect this. The apostle Paul understood the critical nature of leadership. Therefore, he has already given young Timothy and the church a great deal of instruction as it pertains to appointing leaders in the church. We would do well to apply and obey these instructions.

The elders or “presbyters” referred to in this passage are the church overseers, the pastors. These are the men assigned to supervise the ministry of the church. They were to oversee well and to ensure that sound doctrine was preached and taught.

First of all as it pertains to good leaders Paul states:

Good Leaders are to Be Supported

I run the risk here of sounding as though I am tooting my own horn. But the reality is that ministers that serve well are to be honored and supported financially. This is the command of scripture. In the Old Testament, God specifically commanded that the priests in the Old Testament were to be supported by the temple. Churches should support their pastors with appropriate financial support.

Illustration: A pastor once told the story that years ago a couple of families took it upon themselves to supply his family with eggs and milk…he was grateful until he discovered that the cost of the eggs and milk was being deducted from his salary.

The compensation of Pastors is a confusing topic and a delicate one. For sure, there are times when excess is found and also the opposite, where Pastors are starved by their congregations in some legalistic attempt at keeping them humble.

The pastoral position is to be respected. This is certainly not the case in America anymore. However, the position shouldn’t be viewed as some sort of kingly role either by the congregation or the pastor himself. I will never forget meeting a pastor once who introduced himself as “Dr. So and So”. It seems as some pastors depend on their professional titles or achievements to validate their authority or to assert their dominance in relationships.

Those who are called by God and are faithful in the work of overseeing, preaching and teaching are to respected and supported by the church.

All Leaders Must Be Accountable

There were leaders in the church who were doing their jobs with integrity. Others, however, not so much. These were to be disciplined and corrected by the church. However, Paul urges caution here:

The Pastoral Position & Integrity

The position of the pastor must be held only by those with high integrity. Due to its high profile however, the position is also ripe for ill-willed people to abuse with slanderous & un-proven accusations. It is true that bad pastors have given the position a bad reputation, it is also true that church members at times have been guilty of slandering a pastor to the detriment of the church that has led to an erosion of trust in the pastoral office.

The Need for Caution

Too many times a pastor is accused falsely. Malevolent church members who have ill will toward a pastor can cause great harm due to gossip or other disorderly conversation. As human beings we are bent toward believing the worst about others; especially those who may be in positions of authority or leadership.

Calvin states, “As soon as any charge is made against ministers of the Word, it is believed as surely and firmly as if it had already been proven. This happens not only because a higher standard of integrity is required from them, but because Satan makes most people, in fact nearly everyone, overcredulous so that without investigation, they eagerly condemn their pastors whose good name they ought to be defending.”

John Calvin states the fol

It is un-Christian to entertain or give credence to gossip or slander

, “The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers them.”

Gossip is a poison in the church of Jesus Christ. Any charge must be substantiated by two or three witnesses. This is the teaching of the Old Testament and New.

Boldness Is Needed to Confront Bad Leaders

When a leader does sin and this is substantiated by two or three witnesses, he must be rebuked by the church. Far too often, blatant sin is ignored, in the case of ministers abusing children and then allowed to move on to another place of ministry. We must lovingly confront sin.

Fairness Is Required in Judgment

Discipline must be fair and even handed.

Leaders Should Be Chosen Carefully

Being proactive, patient and careful is helpful. In Baptist life, we cherish congregational authority. I believe in the New Testament you discover that the church is to affirm the selected leaders, but these leaders must be chosen carefully and without politics. Too many times in Baptist life politics determines who leads. We must screen leaders, ask hard questions. We should not be hasty to lay on hands or affirm a leader in the church.

v. 23 - Paul is certainly not encouraging Timothy to spend much time drinking wine. This would disqualify him from leadership. Wine in this time was considered a staple of everyday life. It was also used for medicinal purposes. The bible teaches temperance in all things. However, there are a multitude of reasons today for abstinence from alcohol that are scripturally supported. The scourge of alcoholism that destroys individuals and families. The outright damage to one’s health due to abuses. The result of drunkenness that leads to a multitude of other sins (sexual promiscuity, death, other crimes). The “weaker” brother who may be hindered due to an exercise of freedom on our part. I should never want to do anything to cause another person to stumble.

V.24-25 - We need discernment. Some people’s sins are blatant and obvious - others may have wonderful gifts and abilities that are evident, but underneath lies a deceptive heart. Far too often in the church we pass over the humble and seemingly less talented and opt for the “rock star” to place in leadership. Far too many times this had led to problems in the church.