What Qualifies You to Be a Church Leader? (Overseer Training 2)

Welcome back to week two of our Overseer Training series!

--

The PursueGOD Training podcast helps pastors, small group leaders, and everyday Christians to make disciples through healthy biblical churches.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/training.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [e-mail].

Donate Now

--

From the Job Description: An overseer must qualify according to 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9 and PG’s profile of a healthy leader.

He must affirm Alpine's doctrinal statement, the Alpine Way, and Alpine’s Statement on Sexuality and Gender. - reference back to the unity we mentioned last week. It’s imperative your elders/overseers can affirm your philosophy of ministry.

• 1 Timothy 3:1-5 This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader,[a] he desires an honorable position.” 2 So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife.[b] He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. 3 He must not be a heavy drinker[c] or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. 4 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. 5 For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
• Overseer, elder, bishop, pastor - words used interchangeably in NT- to oversee, to care for - caring for the flock is at the heart of the calling of an overseer
• Several translations say, “He desires a good work.” Many people desire honorable positions, but how many desire to work for the Lord?
• What is the use of a lazy minister? He is no good either to the world, to the Church, or to himself. He is a dishonor to the noblest profession that can be bestowed upon the sons of men.” (Spurgeon)
• Ashamed of the low expectations I placed on Overseer Team in Logan for the first four years I was campus pastor. Men often rise to the level of expectation. I saw that first hand in the years I coached and I’ve seen it in ministry.
• Above reproach
• Literally means “nothing to take hold upon” - It is a metaphor of a boxer who so skillfully defends himself, it is impossible to hit him.
• It can’t mean perfection or there would be no overseers. Is there a pattern of sin in your life someone can point a finger at? Not just sins of...