The Bible surely doesn’t require that church leaders be single. The Roman Catholic Church demonstrates its apostasy 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 Bible even mentions forbidding marriage when speaking of doctrines of devils which cause apostasy in 1 Timothy 4:1-3.  While it might be understandable to think that the greater availability which might come with singleness is required to lead a church if the Bible didn’t say so clearly otherwise, it’s also necessary to ask on the other hand: Does the Bible require that church leaders be married?
According to Google, 96 percent of pastors in the USA are married.  It is obvious that in many churches there is 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).  
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?)”  
One who would be an overseer should be ruling his own house well and have his children in subjection- if he has these.  If you’re going to use 1 Timothy 3 to say that an overseer must be married, then he’d also have to have children who have grown up to some degree in order to prove his wisdom in raising them. Earlier in the same chapter it says within verse 2: “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife…” (Note that the King James Version says ”bishop”- the word in Greek is “episkopos” which literally means overseer).
Paul and Timothy were overseers of overseers.  Those who claim a single person shouldn’t be allowed to lead a church are basically saying that it was acceptable for Paul to be an Apostle but it would be unacceptable to have him as one’s local overseer.  Paul was single and there is no Biblical evidence that Timothy wasn’t single as well.  The Bible’s qualifications for an overseer related to marriage and parenting are a recognition that many candidates to be overseers will be married- not a requirement that they be.  Otherwise, a man who chooses to marry a rude and contentious woman due to lust and/or due to wanting to look better before people would meet a key qualification to lead a church in doing so.  However, he would remain disqualified for making the right choice not to marry such a woman.  
The same Apostle who wrote 1 Timothy chapter 3 also wrote in 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’s better for some to marry, yet one who receives this exhortation obviously shouldn’t be penalized as a result.  
The authority of the Word of God prevailing cannot be separated from heeding the Word’s instructions, verdicts, and precedents.  Therefore, it’s crucial for a church to neither require being single nor require being married of its leaders.

Aaron’s email is: [email protected]

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