Leadership in the New Testament church is something that was very important both to the apostle Paul and Peter, among others. Leadership certainly should be something important to us too. In fact, these men will have great influence on the church and her future. I assume for many this can get confusing and at times convoluted. Often churches can get caught up in the emotional aspect of one’s feelings and forget that Scripture is not silent on this matter. In fact, I can admit my own failures as it relates to this particular topic. I have been in pastoral leadership for over twenty years and have made several mistakes over the years because I acted more out of my feelings than I did according to Scripture. It is easy to do because no one likes to tell someone they are not qualified at this particular time. It certainly does not mean they will never be qualified. It perhaps means for a season there is still work to do to meet the scriptural qualifications. A vetting process is not a bad thing; in fact, it is something the Bible instructs us to do as a church. There are several New Testament passages one can look at when considering the process of vetting anyone for a leadership position in the church. A few passages that come to mind are 1 Timothy 3:10; 5:22, and 1 Peter 5:1–4.
Let’s look at these for the purpose of clarity and insight. In 1 Timothy 3:1–13 we have a unit of Scripture that speaks heavily on the qualifications of what it means to be both an elder and a deacon. In these passages of Scripture there is some overlap in terms of the two offices. In other words, the qualifications for both offices require a lot of the same qualifications. In 1 Timothy 3:10 Paul tells Timothy, “These men must also first be tested; and then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.” This means a man must first be vetted before placing him into an office of leadership. This is an example of overlapping when it comes to either New Testament office. In other words, both elders and deacons must (first) be tested before being allowed to fill either office. I assume that every church has their own process by which they carry out this “testing” or “vetting” and that is acceptable as long as the process is being carried out. In 1 Timohty 3:11 Paul says, “Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.” Whether one believes this is talking about women servants, men who are deacons and their wives, or elders and their wives, the point is still made. All categories are covered, and the meaning is for both the man and woman—the elder and his wife, the deacon and his wife—to be “faithful in all things.” This certainly does not mean that a person who misses something is disqualified for the office of elder or deacon, but it does teach an overall faithfulness to the church and ministries it carries out from week to week.
Why is this so important? It is important because it teaches others an example to follow. I think all of us are by nature people watchers. I know I am. People are constantly watching how you act, how you interact with others, how you carry yourself, whether you think something to be important or not. This is true of leadership, too, as it relates to the ministries of a local church, its worship services, and the events the church puts on to reach other people. The watching world is constantly evaluating whether we are living up to our calling. Of course, no one can be perfect, and that is not the intent of this article, but it becomes even more important for leaders and their wives to embody a spirit of faithfulness and to model to everyone else the importance of the New Testament church.
In fact, Peter reminds us of this very truth as he writes to those scattered abroad. In 1 Peter 5:1–4, Peter is writing to exhort the elders. Not only does Peter tell them to shepherd the flock of God among them, but he tells them to be “examples to the flock” (cf. 5:3). Why is it so important for an elder and his wife to be a good example to the flock? Well, the short answer is people are watching. They want to see how important you take the church of Christ. They want to know if it is important enough to you to make it a priority in your life. What takes precedence in your life? Where are your priorities? These are all very important things when it comes to leadership of the church. It does not mean leaders and their families cannot take breaks, check out for a few days, or go on a family trip. It does mean, however, that a leader must be found faithful and lead by example. This leading by example is being in full support of one’s local commitment to his or her church. It is a bare minimum for anyone who desires a leadership position.
This is certainly one reason a vetting process is important. We need men who are not only willing to lead by example, but who do live by example. They are men who care deeply about the sheep/congregation of which God has made them overseers and desire to model for the sheep a commitment to the local bride of Christ. This is certainly why Paul tells Timothy not to get in too big of a hurry during this vetting process and allow men into leadership that do not embody these characteristic traits nor desire to support the local church (cf. 1 Tim. 5:22). I have been on the end of “laying hands on” a candidate and therefore placing them into leadership before they were ready to be in leadership. It never ends well. This is why Paul tells Timothy to “[] not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin” (1 Tim. 5:22).
There is certainly a plethora of other passages we can cover that deal with the importance of a vetting process, but I hope this suffices for now. If anything, it will give us all food for thought. After all, this is why I write these articles, so that our minds can be challenged and we can think through different issues together.
I love MBC! I love getting to lead you and walk with you on a weekly basis. I love getting to be a shepherd of this local congregation. I look forward to what God will continue to do in and through us as a body of local believers united on all fronts to reach a lost world for the glory of God.
I ask you to be in prayer, as I know you have already been, for our very own vetting process. We have been working toward this goal for more than three years now and it can sometimes feel monotonous, but it should be enjoyable. We are bringing it to the finish line and presenting before you the first candidates for elder of MBC: Hank Henley, Paul Cagle, and Jarrod Anders.
God bless,
Pastor Corey
Let’s look at these for the purpose of clarity and insight. In 1 Timothy 3:1–13 we have a unit of Scripture that speaks heavily on the qualifications of what it means to be both an elder and a deacon. In these passages of Scripture there is some overlap in terms of the two offices. In other words, the qualifications for both offices require a lot of the same qualifications. In 1 Timothy 3:10 Paul tells Timothy, “These men must also first be tested; and then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.” This means a man must first be vetted before placing him into an office of leadership. This is an example of overlapping when it comes to either New Testament office. In other words, both elders and deacons must (first) be tested before being allowed to fill either office. I assume that every church has their own process by which they carry out this “testing” or “vetting” and that is acceptable as long as the process is being carried out. In 1 Timohty 3:11 Paul says, “Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.” Whether one believes this is talking about women servants, men who are deacons and their wives, or elders and their wives, the point is still made. All categories are covered, and the meaning is for both the man and woman—the elder and his wife, the deacon and his wife—to be “faithful in all things.” This certainly does not mean that a person who misses something is disqualified for the office of elder or deacon, but it does teach an overall faithfulness to the church and ministries it carries out from week to week.
Why is this so important? It is important because it teaches others an example to follow. I think all of us are by nature people watchers. I know I am. People are constantly watching how you act, how you interact with others, how you carry yourself, whether you think something to be important or not. This is true of leadership, too, as it relates to the ministries of a local church, its worship services, and the events the church puts on to reach other people. The watching world is constantly evaluating whether we are living up to our calling. Of course, no one can be perfect, and that is not the intent of this article, but it becomes even more important for leaders and their wives to embody a spirit of faithfulness and to model to everyone else the importance of the New Testament church.
In fact, Peter reminds us of this very truth as he writes to those scattered abroad. In 1 Peter 5:1–4, Peter is writing to exhort the elders. Not only does Peter tell them to shepherd the flock of God among them, but he tells them to be “examples to the flock” (cf. 5:3). Why is it so important for an elder and his wife to be a good example to the flock? Well, the short answer is people are watching. They want to see how important you take the church of Christ. They want to know if it is important enough to you to make it a priority in your life. What takes precedence in your life? Where are your priorities? These are all very important things when it comes to leadership of the church. It does not mean leaders and their families cannot take breaks, check out for a few days, or go on a family trip. It does mean, however, that a leader must be found faithful and lead by example. This leading by example is being in full support of one’s local commitment to his or her church. It is a bare minimum for anyone who desires a leadership position.
This is certainly one reason a vetting process is important. We need men who are not only willing to lead by example, but who do live by example. They are men who care deeply about the sheep/congregation of which God has made them overseers and desire to model for the sheep a commitment to the local bride of Christ. This is certainly why Paul tells Timothy not to get in too big of a hurry during this vetting process and allow men into leadership that do not embody these characteristic traits nor desire to support the local church (cf. 1 Tim. 5:22). I have been on the end of “laying hands on” a candidate and therefore placing them into leadership before they were ready to be in leadership. It never ends well. This is why Paul tells Timothy to “[] not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin” (1 Tim. 5:22).
There is certainly a plethora of other passages we can cover that deal with the importance of a vetting process, but I hope this suffices for now. If anything, it will give us all food for thought. After all, this is why I write these articles, so that our minds can be challenged and we can think through different issues together.
I love MBC! I love getting to lead you and walk with you on a weekly basis. I love getting to be a shepherd of this local congregation. I look forward to what God will continue to do in and through us as a body of local believers united on all fronts to reach a lost world for the glory of God.
I ask you to be in prayer, as I know you have already been, for our very own vetting process. We have been working toward this goal for more than three years now and it can sometimes feel monotonous, but it should be enjoyable. We are bringing it to the finish line and presenting before you the first candidates for elder of MBC: Hank Henley, Paul Cagle, and Jarrod Anders.
God bless,
Pastor Corey
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