Biblical Qualifications for Church Officers

As you nominate and elect officers for our church as members of our congregation, you must take into consideration both the duties/responsibilities and the qualifications for the two offices which God Himself lays down in His Word. This is not to be a popularity contest. Nor is a person necessarily qualified if he is godly or simply a nice person. As you participate in the nomination and election process, we urge you prayerfully to meditate on the following duties and qualifications, and submit for nomination and vote for only those names which you believe the Holy Spirit is leading you to support after such prayerful and thoughtful consideration.

Duties and Responsibilities of Elders

There are primarily three terms that are used to refer to this office in the New Testament. The term elder emphasizes the characteristic of spiritual maturity necessary to carry out the duties of the office. The term bishop literally means “overseer” and emphasizes the responsibility for authoritative oversight of the mission and members of the church, or, as I Timothy 5:17 puts it, the duty to “direct the affairs of the church.” The term pastor literally means “shepherd” and emphasizes the responsibilities related to protecting, caring for, and guiding the members of the church “flock.” These considerations, along with other biblical information, issue in the following list of duties and responsibilities for elders:

1. To rule regarding the correctness of the preaching and teaching of God’s Word in the church and to guard its members from false teaching and teachers.
2. To rule regarding the benevolent program of the church.
3. To rule regarding the moral behavior of the members of the church and to exercise, with love, biblical church discipline, including the impartation of sanctions, when necessary.
4. To serve as a ruling elder in the visitation program of the church.
5. To serve as a ruling elder as he teaches the members of the church in order that they will comprehend God’s Word.
6. To serve as a ruling elder in the correct administration of the sacraments.
7. To serve as a ruling elder in the implementing of the lawful injunctions of the higher courts and to serve in these courts when appointed.
8. To serve as a ruling elder in the supervision of the Christian education program of the church.
9. To serve as a ruling elder as he participates with other elders in the making of godly and wise decisions related to the administration, direction, ministry strategy, activities, and policies of the church.
10. To serve as a ruling elder as he equips the members of the church to do ministry and wisely delegates various tasks to which he is not called which are nevertheless essential to the mission of the church.
11. To serve as a ruling elder as he participates with other elders in choosing goals, establishing plans, and evaluating results for the church.
12. To serve as a ruling elder as he helps the church determine what steps to take to deal with problems and circumstances that arise naturally in the life of the church.
13. To serve as a ruling elder as he models the Christian life to other members, serving as an example to them.
14. To serve as a ruling elder as he leads the church by providing, communicating, and inculcating vision for, to, and in the members of the church.

Biblical Qualifications for Elder (following the NIV translation)

1. Above reproach—a general, overarching, description of a quality of life that does not render one liable to criticism for obvious outward character flaws.
2. Husband of but one wife—faithful in the marriage relationship.
3. Temperate—not given to extremes or excesses; sensible.
4. Self-controlled—characterized by discipline of life: words, behavior, but especially thoughts; one who follows sound reasoning (the opposite of madness).
5. Respectable—characterized by inner moral excellency and outward orderly behavior.
6. Hospitable—lovingly generous in the use of resources, especially one’s home, to meet the needs of others, including strangers.
7. Able to teach—this does not necessarily refer to an ability or aptitude to preach or stand in front of a crowd and formally teach, but more specifically to knowledge of Scripture, ability to apply it to specific situations and issues, and skill in communicating it sufficient to shepherd, lead, admonish, and counsel God’s people in a variety of contexts.
8. Not given to drunkenness—free from addictions, especially to alcohol.
9. Not violent—not a participant in or a perpetrator of strife; averse to fighting.
10. Gentle—patient, kind demeanor.
11. Not quarrelsome—self-explanatory.
12. Not a lover of money—free from materialism; valuing pleasing God more than material gain.
13. Managing his own family well, seeing that his children obey him with proper respect—is able to rule his own house.
14. Not a recent convert—not new to the faith.
15. Having a good reputation with outsiders—generally well respected among even unbelievers.
16. Not overbearing—Not arrogant or self-complacent but humble.
17. One who loves what is good—not ashamed of or embarrassed by righteousness; appreciative of and willing to identify with those who love God.
18. Having children who believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient—related to #13; adds the provision that children have a credible profession of faith (i.e., are not publicly living in unrepentant sin).
19. Upright—characterized by justice and integrity in his dealings with others.
20. Holy—faithful in his walk before God, especially as this causes him to stand out among and be distinct from the world in general.
21. Holding firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught—teachable, but measuring all things by Scripture; holding to doctrine as it is presented in Scripture, respectful of what sound teachers have said and written; believing it and defending it; not wishy-washy on matters of theology.

Duties and Responsibilities of Deacons

1. To meet physical/economic needs inside and outside of the congregation. Visiting the sick, the poor, the elderly, and single parent families and helping families in emergencies are included under this heading.
2. To encourage and promote liberal giving by the congregation, and then to collect and distribute those financial gifts. Stewardship education, envelope systems, counting, recording, depositing and reporting funds are included under this heading.
3. To keep all the properties of the congregation in good repair and maintenance, and to control their use.
4. To accomplish the practical tasks and errands that are entailed in the ongoing program of the church. Ushering, setting up equipment and chairs are included in this category.

Although these duties are not necessarily performed by the deacons, the deacons are responsible for their discharge.

Biblical Qualifications for Deacons (following the NIV translation)

1. Worthy of respect—the actual word is “grave,” or “dignified,” and refers to the qualities of being realistic and practical.
2. Sincere—honest, speaking the truth from the heart.
3. Not indulging in much wine—self-controlled.
4. Not pursuing dishonest gain—not greedy, not wiling to compromise principle for selfish motives.
5. Must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience—this involves two aspects: first, a distinctively competent knowledge of sound doctrine and the Christian faith, and second, consistency in practicing what they know.
6. Must first be tested—experienced in the faith and in service. Deacons had better not be phonies nor easily discouraged; the people with whom they will work can spot phonies and can try patience.
7. Husband of one wife—faithful in the marriage relationship.
8. Must manage his children and his household well—able to manage his own household.