Before Paul presented his qualifications for leaders, he encouraged Christians to desire leadership: ?This is a true saying, If a man desires the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.?(1 Timothy 3:1). Providing a climate where people feel free and motivated to cultivate and implement constructive ideas is the challenge of talented leaders. Those who succeed in selling good ideas to others win financially, gain power, and assume a leadership role themselves. Paul is stating that if a man desires the pastoral office (a role of leadership in the Christian Community) and from love of Christ was ready to deny himself and undergo hardships by devoting himself to that service he sought a good work. ?To optimize an organization?s ability to achieve sustained excellence, it must recognize the need for proactive talent management and have a systematic way of accomplishing the activity.?1
Paul applies talent management later in the letter when he urges Timothy to accept his call to leadership. ?Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.? (1 Timothy 4:14). As someone once said, ?A company without money can always borrow it, but a company without leadership is bankrupt.? This sense of urgency is Paul?s talent management tool ? he had to get Timothy engaged. ?Explaining, asking, and involving are at the heart of engaging people in your business, but the causes of, and contributors to, engagement go deeper than that. Ultimately you engage to get performance?? 2
After Paul engages Timothy in the aspiration of leadership, he outlines the requirements for leaders in the Christian community. Eight of Paul?s qualifications for a Bishop3 deal with the character and behavior of leaders. All of them deal with the leader?s ability maintain control. Similarly, he outlined the qualifications for Deacons4.
Qualifications for Leaders (Elders/Bishops and Deacons)
Vigilant- Elder3:2
Hospitable-Elder3:2
Able to teach-Elder3:25:17
Gentle (not violent)-Elder3:3
Not quarrelsome- Elder3:3
Not a recent convert-Elder3:6
Respectable-Elder 3:2, 3:7/Deacon3:8
Sober- Elder3:23:3/Deacon3:8
Husband of one wife-Elder3:2/Deacon3:12
Manages own family- Elder3:4/Deacon3:12
Temperate- Elder3:2/Deacon3:8
Trustworthy (Honest)-Elder 3:3/Deacon3:8 3:9
Irreproachable-Elder3:2/Deacon3:8
Sincere- Deacon3:9
Tested- Deacon3:10
1. Lance A. Berger and Dorothy R. Berger, The Talent Management Handbook, (New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2004), In the 1990s, LBA Consulting Group undertook a major study that focused on identifying the factors that most contributed to the creation and sustenance of organizational excellence. The study examined organizations that had survived and prospered, and those that had failed, over a 25-year period. The successful organizations focused on proactively and systematically managing their human resources along these lines. Those that failed took a more casual, traditional approach. 3.
2. Edward L. Gubman, Talent Solution, (Blacklick: McGraw-Hill Professional Book Group, 1998), 205.
3. Karen Dockery, Johnnie Godwin, and Phyllis Godwin, The Student Bible Dictionary, (Uhrichville: Barbour Books, 2000), Spiritual ?Supervisor? (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Peter 5:2). Used interchangeably with elder and presbyter. 54.
4. Karen Dockery, The Student Bible Dictionary, 2000, Servant, minister, helper. A church leader who ministers to others. 72.
Lieutenant Ken Rice is an Active Duty Naval Officer stationed in Norfolk VA. He is currently assigned to Commander, Naval Surface Force’s Warfare Requirments Directorate as the FORCEnet Requirements Officer. Lieutenant Rice is responsible for the program analasys and budget oversight for Information Technology Transformation for the Surface Fleet. He is currently enrolled at Regent University working towards a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership.
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