Character Matters

Editorial: By Justin Nash

Godly character is required for church leaders.

Godly character is the preeminent requirement for church leaders. No amount of skill,
training or theological education can overcome poor character. This is made clear in Paul’s
letters to two young pastors, Timothy and Titus. In 1 Timothy 3:1–13 and Titus 1:5–9, Paul
lays out the qualifications for church leaders — elders and deacons in particular.

One of the more telling things about these lists is that they deal almost exclusively with character
issues, not educational accomplishments or technical proficiencies. The message is clear:
when selecting leaders for the church, godly character is non-negotiable.

Education and skill must be shaped by a heart conformed to Christ.

This is critical for us to remember in any discussion about leadership development. Good
theological education, the impartation of solid ministry fundamentals and good technical
skills are absolutely necessary as well. After all, the ability to “give instruction in sound
doctrine and also rebuke those who contradict it” is the primary skill Paul puts forth. But
those things alone will not develop the kind of leaders the church of Jesus Christ requires.
Education and skill development must be tempered and shaped by a heart and mind
conformed to the image of Christ.

Low character will lead to ungodly behavior that will defame the good name of Jesus.

This should have become especially clear over the past several months as we have seen multiple accounts of high-profile churches and church leaders getting caught in acts of worldly indulgence, abuse, sexual immorality and criminal exploitation of innocent children and adults. But just as appalling are the actions of other church leaders who ignored, justified or actively covered up these heinous acts.

This reveals a deficiency of character, not of education or skill. Christ-like character always seeks truth and does what is right, regardless of the cost. Righteousness and principle must always trump popularity, social status, relationships and even job security.

This is necessarily so for at least two reasons. First, churches tend to be reflections of their leaders. If we desire high-character and deeply devoted disciples of Christ in our churches, we must have high-character and deeply devoted disciples of Christ leading them. Second, and perhaps most importantly, the church is called to be the physical embodiment of Christ and his kingdom on earth. Low character will lead to ungodly behavior that will defame the good name of Jesus and create unnecessary obstructions to our gospel proclamation.

Christ-like character must be foundational to our leadership development efforts.

Christ-like character, deep biblical conviction and the courage to live in accordance with those convictions must be foundational to our leadership development efforts. We must be wary of looking to the ranks of the bright, gifted, educated and charismatic. Those are great qualities, but they are not enough if they are not resting on the foundation of deep godly character.

Whatever the educational and training facets of our denominational leadership development plans may be, character development must be part of them as well. The character of our churches and, most importantly, the reputation of Jesus in the world depend on it.

Justin Nash, “Character Matters,” The Witness, Spring 2019

Witness Magazine is our denominational flagship publication. Mailed quarterly, this 24-page color magazine provides timely commentary, information on cultural trends, feature articles, photo essays, resources and more.

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