Before we directly consider the question of whether the Bible teaches that church leaders need to be married or not, it is noteworthy to point out that the Bible surely doesn’t require that church leaders be single.  

The Roman Catholic Church demonstrates its apostasy from Christ by mandating celibacy of its clergy.  The Eastern Orthodox Church does so also by forbidding its bishops from being married and not allowing its married priests to remarry if their wife dies.

The concept that any adult should be forbidden to marry or to remarry according to the Biblical terms which God has appointed for all people is rebellion against God’s Word and an attempt to change His perfectly wise definitions of good and evil.

Hebrews 13:4 says: “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”

No one should be forbidden to marry just as no one should be allowed to be a whoremonger and/or an adulterer.

The Bible even names forbidding marriage when speaking of doctrines of devils.

1 Timothy 4:1-3: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”

When Roman Catholic apologists defend their church’s doctrine of clerical celibacy, they have to quote popes, church councils, and go into the realm of speculation.  They can’t stand upon nor cite Christ’s Apostles in their claims- though they claim that their church is the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church.  

1 John 4:6: “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us.  Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”

This was written by one of Christ’s Apostles.  They surely taught that marriage is honorable in all, that forbidding marriage is a doctrine of devils, and many of them were married themselves (see 1 Corinthians 9:5).

The Apostle Paul though was not married.  In 1 Corinthians chapter 7, he spoke of the excellence of remaining single while echoing the truth that marriage is forbidden to none.  

Note though as you read 1 Corinthians chapter 7: Even where Paul spoke of the excellence of singleness, he did not say that Christian leaders must be single nor did he teach that the excellence of singleness is limited to Christian leaders who remain single.  

There are potential advantages and benefits of singleness for any Christian.  There are many forms of Christian service in which it is good to not be ensnared with the cares of having a family.  Even a regular job as a single person leaves one with the advantage of being able to give more money for missions and for the needy than they could have given if they had a family to support.  

Extra time and less care can be especially useful for any true servant of the Lord.- whether they are a church leader or not.  

At the same time, the Bible does not teach that singleness is a higher form of spirituality nor does it teach that a single person would have to have a diminished walk with the Lord if they were to get married.  Anyone who thinks that they have the glory of knowing the Lord face to face in this life is deluded and their relationship with the Lord is surely imaginary anyways.  

1 Corinthians 13:12 says: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

Neither foregoing marriage nor foregoing anything else in life can expedite or advance the perception of God’s glory which those who inherit salvation will meet with in the resurrection.

The Bible also overall teaches, and the Apostles of Christ confirm this in the New Testament, that there is no inherent conflict between being an appointed Christian leader over a church and being married.  

While it might be understandable to think that the extra time and greater availability which might come with singleness are required to lead a church if the Bible didn’t say so clearly otherwise, it is also necessary to ask on the other hand: “Does the Bible Require that Church Leaders be Married?”

I have never heard a denomination or association of churches say directly that the leaders of their churches have to be married (though I would guess that such do exist somewhere).  

I have however known of churches where there was no way in actuality that a single person would ever be the pastor (I say “pastor” for the understanding of others though I believe “overseer: is a better term than pastor for the main leader of a church congregation- overseer has less religious baggage).  

According to the internet, 96 percent of Pastors in the USA are married (and I’m actually surprised that number is not even higher- I cannot think of a single church I have been part of which had a single pastor and I don’t remember ever even seeing a church which had a single head pastor or overseer).

I think that one of the main objections which many would put forth against single church leaders is the claim that they don’t know how to raise a family or that they’re unproven in raising a family.  

After all, the Bible gives the following qualification for an overseer in 1 Timothy 3:4-5: “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)”

Earlier in the same chapter, it says within 1 Timothy 3:2: “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife…”

It is obvious that an overseer should be ruling his own house well and have his children in subjection- if he has children.  

If you’re going to use this though to say that an overseer ought to be married, then he’d also have to have children.  The children would also have to be grown up to some degree for the man to be able to prove his wisdom in raising them.  This would disqualify those that hadn’t been married long- and it would also cause a problem in discerning the rather subjective question of how long is long enough.  

Consider here that Paul and Timothy were basically overseers of overseers themselves.  Those who claim that a single person shouldn’t be allowed to lead a church are basically claiming that it was acceptable for Paul to be an Apostle but it would be unacceptable to allow him to be one’s overseer/pastor.  Paul was surely single and Timothy could have been as well.  

Paul wasn’t demanding of leaders whom he was in charge of something which he wasn’t living himself.

The Bible’s qualifications for an overseer of a church related to marriage and parenting are related to those who are married.  They are a recognition that many candidates to be overseers of a church will be married;-not a requirement that they have to be married.

While Paul’s commendation of celibacy in 1 Corinthians chapter 7 doesn’t prove that church leaders need to be celibate, it also still applies to single men who are potential church leaders.  

1 Corinthians 7:7-8: “For I would that all men were even as I myself.  But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.  I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.”

The Bible gives reasons why it might be better for certain individuals to marry in certain circumstances, but a man who receives this exhortation surely isn’t disqualified from leading a church because he does so.  

It should also be considered that if the things said about marriage in relation to overseers were requirements for marriage rather than requirements for those who happen to be married, then an overseer whose wife dies would have to resign or get remarried immediately upon her death.  

Some might yet object and say that a man who doesn’t have a family wouldn’t have the ability to lead a church due to the family issues which inevitably come up within it.  

Such a claim might very well be derived from a view of leadership where the head overseer (to most people, the pastor) leads almost everything and does all the counseling.  But that is not a Biblical view of church leadership.  

Those in a position of leadership over others don’t need to know everything about any issue which might come up.  A good leader acknowledges they are not the best source of knowledge for every issue which they might face and is happy to delegate tasks to those who know better in a given area.  A good leader can enlist the help of experienced husbands, fathers, wives, mothers, etc. when others in the church need direction in family issues which he doesn’t necessarily know a lot about himself.

Besides this, no one is going to encounter every trial in their own life which others around them encounter.  Husbands and fathers will not face every trial related to marriage and parenting which those in their church face in these areas.  

If experience in every nuance of life were a requirement for being a God-ordained church leader, then no one would ever be qualified.  

There are many, many challenges which can only be dealt with by general wisdom and learning on the fly.  

General faithfulness to the Lord and character before the Lord matter much more than specific life experiences.

Some might claim that a man who isn’t married by age 25 or 30 is irresponsible or has some other major character defect.  

Though some might avoid marriage out of refusal to take responsibility or for some other bad reason, Paul’s exhortation regarding singleness in 1 Corinthians chapter 7 still shows that one might not be married for especially good reasons.

The claims of unmarried men being irresponsible seem to also assume that men who get married are responsible and have married for noble reasons.  Though it is better to get married than to fornicate, people can still marry for bad reasons (or less than noble reasons anyways).  

One such reason that might not be obvious to some is that in some churches being married is an unwritten status symbol which causes some to be tempted to marry for the sake of social validation and to avoid being a social outcast within the church to some degree.  

It is no wonder that such a pathetic social condition would exist within a church where being among its leadership, especially being the head overseer/pastor, is virtually off limits to an unmarried man.  Such a church cannot truly be considered a Biblical church anymore than a church which requires its leaders to be unmarried.  

The authority of the Word of God prevailing cannot be separated from heeding the Word’s instructions, heeding its precedents, and heeding its common sense logical implications.  That is the primary reason why this issue is crucial to deal with and vitally important.  

Aaron’s email is: gospeltruth768@yahoo.com

CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR FRONT PAGE FOR ALL THE STUDIES

CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR 3RD WORLD MISSION TO THE IMPOVERISHED