We generally have a love-hate relationship with qualifications. We rightly desire that those who provide services, like doctors and airline pilots, be well-qualified. And yet, when faced with requirements that restrict something you want to do, your appreciation for the goodness of qualifications drastically wanes. In the current cultural context, where personal autonomy is seen as supremely important, any discussion of disqualifying qualifications is not well received.

The church's well-being, health, and effectiveness are greatly affected by and dependant on the leadership of the church. If the church fails to choose qualified men to serve as overseers, it will soon reap disastrous results

No church is perfectly rightly ordered; however, every church must have a heart to be as rightly ordered and faithful to scripture as possible. 1 Timothy 3 continues the teaching on the proper order of the church and the offices of overseer/ elder/ pastor and deacon. To introduce a biblical understanding of the office of overseer/ elder/ pastor, I will discuss these three areas: the problem (Where we are and how we got here), the terms (rediscovering the terms the Bible uses for those who lead the church), and the office (from 3: 1).