“[An elder must be] hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.” – Titus 1:8
When we think of a church leader, we often think of someone who knows the Bible or theology well. These are crucial—yet far from sufficient.
In his letters to Timothy and Titus, the missionary and church leader Paul outlines the qualifications for officers in the church, those officially ordained to lead the people of God. His lists give us a picture of what a Christian leader should be. They apply first to officers, but they also describe what all Christian leaders—and really, all Christians—should aspire to.
These qualifications are primarily moral. They describe a person’s character and their way of relating to God and others. Based on Paul’s lists, I want to highlight four key traits: a welcomer of outsiders, pious, community-minded, and self-controlled. Let’s explore each in turn.
Welcomer of Outsiders
The Greek word behind “hospitable” literally means lover of foreigners. It is the opposite of fear or suspicion toward people who are different from us. Our English word “hospitality” can make this sound like simply having friends over. But someone can be very “hospitable” in that sense while never welcoming outsiders.
Jesus expresses this distinction clearly in Matthew 5:
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? (vv. 46–47)
Everyone greets their friends. Christian leaders must go further. They must welcome the outsider.
Continue reading “4 Crucial Qualifications for Church Leadership”