Qualifications for Leaders in the Church

⁵ The reason I left you in Crete was to complete what still needed to be done and to appoint elders in every city, as I myself commanded you. ⁶ An elder must be^[a] blameless. He must be the husband of one wife^[b] and have children who are believers and who are not accused of having wild lifestyles or of being rebellious. ⁷ Because an overseer is God’s servant manager, he must be blameless. He must not be arrogant or irritable. He must not drink too much, be a violent person, or make money in shameful ways. ⁸ Instead, he must be hospitable to strangers, must appreciate what is good, and be sensible, honest, moral, and self-controlled. ⁹ He must be devoted to the trustworthy message that agrees with what we teach, so that he may be able to encourage others with healthy doctrine and refute those who oppose it.