Does the Bible say churches should have pastors over their congregations?

Question

What are the Biblical qualifications for a Pastor?

Answer 1

In 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 we find the two seminal passages that speak about the qualifications for overseership within the church of God. We will consider carefully the 12 negative points first, and discuss each in turn and show what the effects would be if such men are allowed into the pastoral ministry.

1. It is of primary importance that the elder should be unaccusable and irreproachable.

No charge can be brought against him and sustained with proofs. If a blameworthy man is placed into the ministry, being in the lead, the whole church and the testimony of the gospel suffers and is brought low, even in the estimate of pagans and infidels. The doctrine he preaches, even though it might be sound, will be discredited.

2. Self-will is carnal and a sign of pride and arrogance. To be steadfast in your mission is commendable, but to be stubborn in error or in your self-estimate will lead in turn to overconfidence, a denial of the very grace of God the pastor should be proclaiming. The arrogant man, if placed in office, will not think twice of making shipwreck of his and other's faith because he is not willing to confess his faults and make amendment.

3. The quick-tempered man will be found subject of uncontrolled passion. His disposition will not be patient and meek, suffering wrong from others. He anger will flare up at the least instigation, thus leading him to rash action and unwise decisions. The man who is not in control of himself cannot possibly lead and guide others.

4. The wine-bibber, indulging in such a sin of the flesh, will be victim of his own vice. His mind will not be clear and lucid, as is required of shepherds who are meant to watch over the health of the flock. His intellectual capacity must be trimmed and used to its full potential; but if he is a lover of wine this could not be done.

5. A pugnacious man is barred from pastoral ministry, and no wonder, for a person given to violence is a poor reflection indeed of the Master who, when he suffered, entrusted his soul to the Judge who judges righteously (1 Peter 2). True, the pastor must engage in warfare and fight the good fight of the faith, but with spiritual armour, not with the fist. Preaching the kingdom, which is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, while he himself is contentious, would be a contradiction.

6. A preacher whose sole objective is financial gain can in no sense be a representative of Him who said, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath nowhere to lay his head." Sad to say, throughout church history we hear of cases where promising ministries were destroyed because the preacher was given to base gain. We still hear of them, cf. American televangelists and others, who, because of them the way of righteousness is maligned.

7. Not covetous. The overseer must be a man who is far removed from a Judas-like attitude (John 12:6), trying to enrich himself by dishonest means. Furthermore, he must also divorce from his mind the thought or desire to make an acquisition of earthly treasure. Such is not his chief goal, even though the means employed should be honest.

8. Not greedy: A man who is fond of money is not necessarily an embezzler. But a man may join a good cause and seek the pastoral office for the sake of material advantage. Likewise Peter warns against such: "Feed the flock of God which is among you...not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind" (1 Peter 5:2). God excludes men from the ministry who have a mercenary spirit going out in search for riches, anxious to add to his possessions regardless of the method, whether legitimate or not, whether fair or foul. Judas and Simon the Sorcerer (cf. simony) come to mind.

A greedy person lays his own snare, into which he will ultimately fall. Judas betrayed Christ for a paltry sum of money. It is a mystery to me why greedy persons seek the ministry to enrich themselves, when there are other venues available for them.

9. The brawler or disputatious person has no place in the ministry for the simple reason that he has not yet learned to conduct the Lord's battles the Lord's way. The would-be pastor is instructed t' be "patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if peradventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth" (2 Timothy 2:24-25). A pastor must conduct himself with all dignity and not follow the ways of the world. A pastor must be genial, not contentious, not given to blows. He is averse to fighting; he avoids quarrelling and senseless arguing. He is not disputatious.

Some of the Timothy and Titus qualifications overlap and expand each other. The over-all impression is the godly and mature character of the man, all-rounded, as James says, "perfect, lacking in nothing." He is grown-up in all aspects of life. This term, "covetous," is similar to "given to filthy lucre." yet this concentrates more on the intent and purpose of the man aim in life is to fatten himself with earthly goods. Such a person in the ministry will prove dishonest; he could not handle the financial aspect of his calling, thus bringing disrepute upon himself and his associates.

10. The neophutos is the new-planted, youthful, fresh. An untried and untested person is a great risk; nobody knows what will be the outcome. He is not dependable for nobody has a clear idea where he comes from and where he's going. He is not yet established in the Faith, and consequently cannot possibly guide and edify others.

11. The semnos man is recognized when you meet a man whose character is venerable, full of dignity, honest and trustworthy. He is not flippant, always joking and careless in his dealings with his neighbour. A flippant pastor cannot be taken seriously for his very character is clownish; he does not attract attention towards the Word of God.

12. Paul could say, "Our word to you was not yea and nay, but in Christ it is yea." He was straightforward, univocal, consistent with himself, with his God and with the message entrusted to his charge. On the contrary, the double-tongued person equivocates; his hearers are never sure what is he saying and what does he really mean. Now the ministry requires men who speak out clearly, in all integrity, with honesty; not with guile or with a covering of evil.

Answer 2

No it doesn't say anything about churches having pastors. In Ephesians 4:11 when talking about gifts, Paul says some are pastors and teachers........There is not a biblical qualification listed for pastors. The only qualification I've found mentined is 1 Timothy 3:12 for deacons to be a husband of one wife, managing his children and household well.

Answer 3

1 Tim. 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9.