Look at the church passages you’ve set aside as “Local Leadership/Governance.” What leadership titles do you see?

“Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust”

(Acts 14:23).

“And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues”

(1 Corinthians 12:28).

These two passages have a lot to say about local church leadership. What definitive conclusions can you make about Christian leaders from them?

Using www.biblegateway.com again, look up the keywords “elder,” “overseer,” and “deacon.” Do these passages give insight into what kind of person Paul and Barnabas were looking for in a church leader?

Why do you think God wanted “His” Church to be populated with multiple people of good character overseeing the activities of the local church?

Were there any thoughts regarding local church leadership that jumped out at you from a biblical standpoint?