Because the role of the Christian leader is to preach,
teach, act as a shepherd, [and] be an example in personal and
family life, the New Testament properly insists that he must
not be a new convert nor a young man. He must have proved
himself [and] demonstrated his God-given charisma for
leadership, before he looks to the Church for recognition of it
through ordination. Here once again we stand in marked
contrast to the New Testament... The early Christians laid
great stress on quality of life. A leader must merit respect,
with his sexual, drinking [and] financial habits beyond
reproach, a man of experience, a family man, someone who has
led others to the faith and built Christians up in it. We go,
on the whole, for untried men whose degree matters more than
their lives, and who may never have led anyone to belief in
Christ, or may even regard the whole idea as distasteful.
E. M. B. Green (1930- ), "Mission and Ministry"
tags: Ministry Ministry ×