The qualifications that the Bible gives for the selection of elders are related to their function. The elder must be holy and blameless, displaying the fruit of the Spirit in his daily life. But the main requirement is that he be able to "manage his family well, and see that his children obey him with proper respect" (I Tim. 3:4). If a man has been able to build strong relationships in his family, he will be good at building relationships in the Church. If he has been able to form Christian character in his children, he will be good at discipling Christians. The early church looked at a man’s family for evidence that he would make a good elder.

Today we select men who are good administrators, men with ability to organise and make decisions. Such men may be good at running the institution, but often they are hopeless at relating to others. They will be unable to build up the body of Christ, and form Christian character. Sometimes elders are selected because they are representative of different groups in the church. This may be democratic, but it is not biblical. Elders must be men of God, who have proved their ability by producing strong faithful families.