Biblical Qualifications for Elders

For a man to be considered as a viable candidate for the office of elder, he must possess the following general character qualities:

    • He has a faithful and proven character.

    • He has a credible reputation and is a good example to be followed.

    • His life is so consistent that it does not provide opportunities for disgrace or blame to be attached to it.

    • He is a one-woman kind of man.

    • His moral character and sexual purity are unquestionable.

    • He is above reproach in his relationships with women.

    • He is devoted to his wife, nurturing and cherishing her.

    • He is exemplary in his love and faithfulness to his wife.

    • He is clearly the head of his home.

    • If he has children, he spends time with them and lovingly disciplines them.

    • His children are under his control, not insubordinate or wild.

    • His wife and children respect him and follow his lead.

    • He manages his resources in a God honouring fashion.

    • He is flexible when dealing with people, and with ideas not clearly revealed in Scripture.

    • He is not stubborn and insistent on getting his own way in matters of judgment and personal preference.

    • He is not so wrapped up in his own ideas that he is insensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others.

    • He is not easily angered but is patient toward others.

    • He is not touchy and quick to defend his own rights.

    • He does not blow-up over the abuses and thoughtless words and/or actions of others.

    • He does not resort to unnecessary physical force.

    • He does not welcome a fight but seeks to make peace.

    • He is cooperative in working with others, not quarrelsome and competitive.

    • He is not easily drawn into an argument.

    • Material possessions are not his ambition in life.

    • He refuses to pursue financial gain at the expense of faithfulness.

    • Family and spiritual life are not sacrificed on the "altar" of his job.

    • He is not greedy or covetous, but ready to share with others in need.

    • He refrains from excessive use of alcohol.

    • He is friendly.

    • He opens his home to friends and people in need.

    • He shows a willingness to share with others whatever God has given to him.

    • He is approachable.

    • He is kind and patient when dealing with others.

    • He is sensitive to the feelings of others so that his words and actions reflect tenderness and promote healing.

    • He is not mastered by anything other than Christ.

    • He is not controlled by his appetites and desires, but rules over them.

    • He is well balanced, moderate, and free from excesses in his ideas, food, time, and money.

    • He is wise and level-headed in all his dealings.

    • He makes decisions in line with God’s Word.

    • He has a sanctified common sense (the wisdom of Proverbs is observable in his life).

    • His life is disciplined and orderly, not slipshod or disorganized.

    • He is responsible and able to accomplish his work.

    • He is equitable in his decisions and counsel.

    • He is fair and impartial in all his dealings.

    • The Scriptures are his standard for living.

    • He has an obvious desire to be like Jesus Christ.

    • He fights against sin and seeks to please God.

    • He takes delight in the good things in which God delights.

    • He willingly avoids things which have an evil influence over him or his family.

    • He is known not only for the evils he is against, but also for the good that he is for.

    • He holds fast to the faithful Word.

    • He possesses that holy stubbornness that is not moved from the Scriptures, nor is he wishy-washy or compromising the clear teaching of the Bible.

    • He has a good grasp on the contents of the whole Bible and the doctrines it sets forth.

    • He applies himself to the discipline of studying the Scriptures and is able to take that knowledge and relate it to others for their edification and growth.

    • He is able to hold your attention by presenting the Word in an interesting manner.

    • When he is finished, you have a better understanding of the passage he dealt with, and you can see how it applies to you.

    • His teaching is consistent with his life.

    • He is able to expose erroneous doctrine with meekness and firmness.

    • He is able to show from the Scriptures why a teaching is false and cannot be accepted.

    • He is able, in a loving and gentle manner, to exhort or confront someone whose life does not conform to Scripture.

    • He is not a recent convert.

    • He has been a Christian long enough to have faced some spiritual tests that have proven the genuineness of his faith.

    • There is no reason to believe that his eldership would cause him to be puffed up with pride.

    • Those outside the church respect him for his consistency of life and conduct.

    • He has a good reputation with neighbours, relatives, and work associates.

    • He pays his bills on time.

    • He honours his promises even if they are unwritten.

    • He is submissive to authority in the church, at work, and in civil government.

    • His name is without genuine blemish in his community.

Such a list does not suggest that an elder or an elder candidate is perfect in all these areas. It is a given that maturity will vary in each area based on Christian experience, the work of the Spirit, and even the influences of family and culture. It is to be expected, however, that no man will be considered a viable candidate where there are glaring omissions or violations in one or more of these areas. Hence, the church must exercise the greatest of patience and heartfelt, earnest prayer in the choosing of her leaders.