Most Churches Would Never Hire Timothy
Paul left a timid young man in charge of the church in Ephesus. Then he told him to let the whole congregation watch him grow.
Most churches today wouldn't hire Timothy.
In 1 Timothy 4:15, Paul tells Timothy, “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress”
I find that interesting. Timothy's growth was supposed to be obvious to the church.
That tells us three things:
They didn't expect him to be perfect. They expected him to have areas that needed development.
They were comfortable having a leader who still needed to grow, as long as he was growing.
As he grew, they saw it in his behavior, his attitude, and his words.
This idea is so overlooked in the churches I work with today.
Why Churches Look for the Perfect Pastor
Most churches want a perfect pastor. As I tell many of them, they want someone who can do everything except walk on water.
They want a visionary who also handles the details everyone else misses. They want someone comfortable leading up front alone, who is just as comfortable leading a team of others who shine. They want someone who preaches and teaches well while also leading well. They want a shepherd's heart, an apostolic drive, excellent teaching ability, and an evangelist's passion for condemning sin while embracing sinners.
They want the whole package.
Timothy Was Expected to Grow
When Paul left Timothy as pastor in Ephesus, he left a timid young man who struggled with confidence and who had gifts he wasn't using well. That's the picture we get from 1 and 2 Timothy.
But Timothy wasn't leading alone. According to Ephesians 4:11-12, the church has leaders with differing gifts, and each of those leaders took on different roles. Timothy was clearly the pastor in Ephesus. He was also surrounded by gifted leaders who each functioned differently for the benefit of the whole church.
There was a great variety of leadership styles and gifted laborers in that body. Timothy wasn't expected to be perfect. He was expected to keep growing as a leader.
What a CEO Model Can Miss About Discipleship
That is very different from many institutional churches today, where the pastor is expected to be the primary teacher, leader, visionary, collaborator, and directional point person.
In response, some churches have adopted a CEO model. The pastor sets the direction, and a team gifted and assigned for the work carries it out. This has worked. It has built organizations that are efficient and effective at reaching large numbers of people.
But I'm not sure it's effective at producing disciples.
Here's why. Disciples are formed one person at a time. Each one has someone investing in them relationally. Head knowledge happens by sitting in an audience. Life change happens in the context of a close relationship. Disciples are forged through the Spirit's presence and power within individuals, in relationships focused on becoming like Christ.
Shared Leadership in the Body of Christ
For that kind of growth to happen, a body of differently gifted people has to function as a living organism rather than a static organization. That's the difference in essence between the body of Christ and an organization focused on a mission.
The living body of Christ is relational by nature. It keeps adjusting to the needs of its environment. That happens symbiotically, as people with different gifts function according to those gifts and the body responds to the culture and the world around it.
The church is a continually changing organism, always seeking to engage the people around it with the love of God, through the living presence of Christ, under the power of the Spirit.
It begins with the pastor acknowledging their own gifts and areas of growth. Then every leader and every follower in the body uses their own varied gifts and develops themselves so that people within their sphere of influence come to know the love of God through Jesus Christ.
What Timothy Teaches Us About Hiring a Pastor
Let's not forget how Timothy's story turned out. History tells us he became one of the primary leaders of the Church as it grew beyond the original disciples. His growth appears to have been evident to everyone, not only in Ephesus but across the wider Church.
But he never stopped being who he was: a uniquely gifted, collaborative, and growing leader who elevated others.
He worked with them, not through them.
What should a church look for when hiring a pastor?
Timothy’s story invites a search committee to ask better questions:
Character: What do this person’s relationships, references, and choices reveal about their integrity?
Teaching: Can they handle Scripture faithfully and help people live it?
Role fit: Which responsibilities match their gifts, and which will require support?
Growth: Where have they changed, and how do they respond to correction?
Team contribution: Whose gifts will complement theirs, and how will they make room for those people to lead?
A pastor can have areas of growth and still be ready to lead. The church’s responsibility is to understand those areas, establish clear expectations, and provide appropriate support and accountability.
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