Able to teach
One mark of an elder in a church is that he is “able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2).
I don’t think this means an Elder needs to be able to deliver a 45-minute monologue that keeps everyone’s attention. But I do think that teaching means teaching. Can they impart knowledge to others? Can they help them obey God’s word?
I remember sitting a meeting when I first joined my church’s leadership. One of the long-standing elders was called upon to “give the devotional”. He had been given advance notice and, in a certain way, had prepared for it. But the extent of his devotion was reading the story of Lot housing the angels and the men of the town showing up at his door… (I’ll spare you the details but if you are unfamiliar with this story check out Genesis 19). Then he said, “Sounds a lot like today, doesn’t it?”
Needless to say, this led to a LOT of abstract discussion with no personal application.* And after 10 or 15 minutes the pastor said: “Well, what’s your point?” And the elder repeated, “Sounds a lot like today, doesn’t it?”
What I want to point out here is a flaw in our modern church culture. This man of God (I have no doubt he was seeking to follow Jesus with his life), had literally no clue how to teach. And it was painfully obvious.
Are we developing leaders? I’m not asking if we have residencies and internships… Are we raising up the people in our churches to be elders? Are we training them to teach?
* A lot of abstract discussion about Lot. See what I did there?
