What does it mean to be “above reproach” in the context of selecting elders? At times, we in the church take this so seriously that it almost paralyzes us. We look at the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, and we see the ultimate expression of these qualities in Christ, and realize how far short we fall. We start looking for someone who perfectly embodies those traits, rather than starting with the simple question: Can this man do the work he is called to do?
The eldership is a vital component in God’s plan for the Lord’s church, and a local group cannot achieve what it needs to achieve in Christ without sound, godly leadership by men who are qualified to hold that position. So it’s important not only that we understand and apply those qualifications in such a way that we are appointing men who are truly going to serve the Lord as shepherds in the mold of the Good Shepherd, Jesus, but that we’re not disqualifying those who ought to be serving.