Choosing Leaders in the Church

Churches use many different criteria for choosing elders and deacons for ministry. Some are biblical and some are not. Most will look to 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1 for guidance, which is great. Some look to the activity of the person being considered and simply ask, "Is he serving" and assume that if he is serving then he must be growing or at least fairly mature in his faith. Sadly, some go on the principle of "He's a great guy, I really like him, He has such a genuine heart." Others allow themselves to be coerced or bullied into giving a person the authority of an elder or deacon.

My question is how many pastors/elders or church leaders consider 1 Tim 5:22? Paul tells Timothy to not "lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others...." Now let me say I think he is referring to making a person an elder or deacon by the laying on of hands, which is ordination. If that is the case it seems that he is saying that the ordaining body holds some responsibility before God for the conduct of the one they ordain. In other words, if a pastor/elder ordains an individual and that individual sins there is some culpability owned by the pastor/elder simply by his association with that man's ordination.

I'm not sure how far it goes, but it is a sobering thought. Churches need to be gracious when dealing with the weaknesses of others. But when it comes to ordaining elders and deacons churches should be gracious and discerning. More is at stake than just bad leadership. The very purity of our souls is impacted by our rash decisions.