Has that life been clean, sober and consistent for the last five or 10 years? A modern day interpretation of what it means to be above reproach would be, have they not had any illegal substances in the last five years, or gambled, or gone to a strip club, or drank alcohol in excess? And so forth. Is their language clean? Do others respect and speak of this person as an upright, law-abiding citizen, chivalrous, kind but determined, etc? Remember to keep a place for forgiveness and given someone a second chance. Where it is clear that the person has overcome the problems, learned and reformed, such a leader can be a beacon for those who wish to change their lives around for the better. Such a person will have incredible compassion, something much needed in a good leader.
The potential leader’s children and spouse must respect them, because if their family doesn’t respect them, why would a church body respect them? Paul says that a church leader must be “faithful to his wife. " (1 Timothy 3:2) This would include any current pastor or church leader who is found with a stash of pornography or looking at it. Such one should step down when approached by a reputable group of church members.
To be temperate means that the leader must have very good self-restraint and self-discipline. The person must be respected for their character. They must be hospitable, not rude to outsiders. The person must be able to teach, so they must be educated. They should not have a habit of getting drunk. They should not be violent, and not prone to angry outbursts or yelling. They must not be quarrelsome, meaning they do not pick arguments everywhere they go. This person must be a peacemaker. Lastly, and this is very important since churches take tithes and offerings, this person must not love money. The Bible says “the love of money is the root of all evil,” and Jesus said it would be impossible to love both God and money. So this person must be overall, a more noble person than one might expect.
